Crimson Stripes
by Ciel the Hedgehog
Summary: Shadow, Dr. Eggman, and the rest of Sonic's gang have been disappearing for two years. Now, it's up to Master Theives Akumu and Yume to save them, along with some unlikely allies. But what secrets does their enemy hold? Read to find out!
1. Prolouge: The Clone Army

**Hi everybody, Ciel the Hedgheog here! I finally got an idea for the sequel to _You Never Know_, and here it is. This story stars Akumu and Yume, Shadow and Rouge's two children. Although preferable, you don't have to read _You Never Know_ in order to understand this. I hope you enjoy it all the same. This chapter is the prolouge, okay? Go on now, read!**_

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Clink clank._ That was the only sound that could be heard in the base that day. The only live inhabitant was Eggman, if you could call him "alive." After all this time, he still had not been able to transform himself back into his human form, so he was still an echidna cyborg. The lone scientist kept his pace, his destination was clear. Recently, he had finally perfected his army of clones, the ones that he had used over ten years ago to accompany the Egg Aqua.

Eggman sighed. Things had gotten even harder for him since then. Eleven years ago, that's when it all went downhill. The hedgebat twins, born to Shadow and Rouge, had been born that year, as well as that pesky blue hedgehog's daughter, Amythyst. In an effort to make sure the mad doctor would not harm the children, Sonic and Shadow had gone on rampage, totally oblirating all of Eggman's resources and bases. It had taken the cyborg forever just to get this base built, but he had done it. Nothing would stop Eggman from one day taking over the world, he was sure of it.

"Stop," beeped his robotic security system. "Access code required."

"I am the Eggman," said he, watching the security light flash from yellow to green.

"Access code confirmed. Voice recognition confirmed. Welcome, Dr. Eggman." A door concealed within the nearby wall opened, and the doctor stepped inside. In front of him lay his greatest creations, the clones. There were robotic look-a-likes of Sonic and all his friends, even some of the children. They were recreated down to the most exact of details. It would be almost impossible to tell them from the original. All he needed was the right AI, an artificial intelligence system that would make them act exactly like their duplicate, and then there would be no difference at all. Even without those, they were still deadly fighters.

"Ah, my beautiful creations," Eggman said lovingly, as if they were his children. "Soon, you all shall be activated, and the world shall be ours." The doctor thought he heard footsteps. His orange fur stood on end as his robotic eye took a survey of the room. No sign of organic life. Nothing out of the ordinary confirmed. The doctor shook his head, maybe he was becoming paranoid. Again, he focused his attention on the legion of robots in front of him. He walked up to some of them, taking in the fine detail. He had definetly outdone himself this time.

A Sonic clone caught his eye. The fur was the wrong color, a pale blue instead of the regular dark blue of the original hedgehog. The eyes were also defective, a bright yellow.

"I have no need for defects," Eggman muttered, throwing a punch at the robot's side using his cybernetic arm. If it had been alive, it would have screeched in pain. A large hole was in the bots side, sparks flying out. The left arm was severed, only a bit of the shoulder remaining. It would be permantely useless now, unless it was kept for a punching bag. The once-human echidna grabbed the defect, preparing to drag it off to the scrap pile.

"Not so fast Doctor," A chilling voice cut through the air. "We need as many clones as we can get for our New World Rule." Eggman turned his head around, once again scanning with his robotic eye. Still nothing organic. Then what had just spoke? A figment of his imagination?

"Who goes there?" barked the mad scientist. "Show yourself, I order you to!"

"Very well then, sir." A dark figure stepped in through the hidden door. Eggman's non-robotic eye widened in suprise at his new visitor, a red and black hedgehog, with an evil glint in his crimson eyes.

"It can't be," He muttered. "...Shadow?"**

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Is he really Shadow? Sorry, you won't be able to find out for a while, for next chapter brings us to our stars, Akumu and Yume. I will say that Eggman does play a bigger role in this story than he has in most of the other ones (except for _One Step Down,_ of course). I also expect this story to be one of my longest ones, but how long, I don't know. Either way, I hope you all read it. Please tell me what you think!**


	2. Two Years Later: Thieves InTraining

**Oh yay, the first actual chapter! I have no comments at the moment, so read! Oh yeah, disclaimer. I do not own Shadow, Rouge, or any related characters. I own Akumu, Yume, Ciel, and all OC's in later chapters.**

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The sky above was pitch black, storm clouds blocking out all starlight. A flash of white could be seen for a brief instant outside the National Geology Museum as the clocks throughout Central City struck midnight. On the side of the museum, a hedgehog with crimson stripes clung to the wall, shimmying over to the nearby window. The theif pulled out a knife, a special government knife that was able to cut through most substances, glass included. Cutting a hole large enough to crawl through, the theif beckoned to a bat, also a theif, also with blood red stripes. The thieves were twins Akumu and Yume, Master Thieves in-training.

"Security System?" asked Yume, a female white hedgehog. Like her mother, the legendary Rouge the Bat, she wore a one-piece spy suit, purple with a card style spade covering her chest. The suit ended a little below the knees, leaving an exposure of fur above her airshoes. They were her prize possesions, for her father had given them to her.

"I'm on it," answered her partner in crime, her brother Akumu. He was a black bat, with large red and black wings. He swiftly glided over to a security panel, entering an all-access code he had learned a few days prior to their mission. He gave his sister a thumbs up, all clear. The white hedgehog signaled back before juping from her windosill perch, landing softly on the floor below. Normally, it would have been decorated in an elaborately designed laser system. Thanks to her brother's hacking expertise, though, it was all clear for the nabbing.

She silently ran over to the case which held her prize, a beautiful purple Chaos Emerald. Yume always wondered why the government locked them up instead of giving the emeralds to her parents or their friends, who consistantly used the emeralds. The theif quickly shunned the question, pulling out her knife to cut the glass.

"And now, you're mine," she whispered, holding her prize. Suddenly, the room was filled with red lights, and sirens began to sound.

"Damn," she muttered, "They mush have placed a motion sensor in the case."

"Come on Yume, let's get out of here," Akumu said, grabbing his twin's hand. Nearby doors were flung open, as guards ran into the room. Metal walls closed over the windows, sealing their entrance.

"I don't suppose we'll be getting out that way," Yume muttered, turning her head towards the guards. "Sorry boys," she said flirtasiously, "but we don't have time to play with you. Maybe another time, all right?"

"Get them!" one of the guards cried, his red outfit contrasting against the other soldiar's blue ones. He must be the leader."

"I'm afraid not," Akumu replied, as Yume handed him the Chaos Emerald, for Akumu was the only one who had perfected his Chaos Magic. "Chaos Control!" The twins were inveloped in a green light, and then they were gone.

The security looked around, each of them with baffled looks on their faces. There had been no incidents with teleporting theives since Rouge the Bat's theiving spree a few years back, during which she had her husband stealing with her. That wasn't them, was it? The head guard walked up to the spot the twins had disappeared from. All that remained was a piece of paper, an outline of a black bat and a white hedgehog on the front. The words, "Nightmare Dream" was written in purple letters near the bottom. A calling card.

"Tomorrow, we are re-vamping the security system," The chief barked at his crew. "Make sure no reporters come here. I don't want anyone to know that theives are cropping up again."

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The twins found themselves at home, a small house their parents had bought soon after the kids were born. The walls were painted a light purple in the living room, which was the room they had arrived in. There was a kitchen to the left, and a hallway leading to the bedrooms on the right, with a bathroom nearby. There were three bedrooms in the hallway. Akumu's was at the door at the right, Yume's was in the middle, and their mom had the one on the left. She used to share it with her husband, Shadow the Hedgehog, but he had been missing for two years. On the other side of the living room was the guest room, where their Uncle Ciel usually stayed. Ever since Shadow had disappeared, he had stayed with Rouge to help care for the kids, and also helped out at Club Rouge. 

"We're home," Akumu called out. "Mom, where are you?"

"Hi kids," Rouge the Bat entered the room, having apparently just got back from the club. "Tough night out there tonight. How'd it go?" Rouge looked quite similar to how she often looked. Her makeup was a little smeared tonight, and she was in her usual attire for Club Rouge (her outfit from SA2B). Time hadn't seemed to have touched her at all during the past years, and she was quite proud of that. She was in her mid-thirties now, after all.

"Guess what Mom," Yume said excitedly. "We finished our first mission! Turns out the gem was a Chaos Emerald!" Akumu pulled it out, their mother eyeing it happily.

"Well then," Rouge exclaimed, "It seems all those lessons I gave you finally paid off. I must say, I'm impressed you found an emerald on your first try,"

"It was nothing," Yume boasted. "We were taught by the best, right?" Rouge laughed.

"Of course you were! I'm not known as the World's Greatest Theif for nothing!"

"Hey Mom, where's Ciel?" Akumu asked. "Shouldn't he be back by now?"

"Good question, I was hoping you knew," Rouge shrugged. "That's one of the reasons I had a hard time tonight. Most of the staff was either on holiday, or they got that cold bug that's going around. For some reason, I couldn't find Ciel anywhere, so I had to deal with it alone. And then Nack showed up, and got in a fight with some guys, and it was just nasty."

"Crud," Akumu muttered. "I wonder what happened?"

"Probably nothing to worry about," Rouge answered. "You two should be getting to bed. It's past midnight, and I do not want to hear crabby children in the morning."

"But Mom, we're not kids anymore," Yume retorted. "We're thirteen! Teenagers!"

"Well, you're still my kids," Rouge replied, "And what I say to you goes. It's bedtime." Rouge gave the twins the do-it-or-else stare she had learned from her husband. It wasn't as good, but it still had the overall effect. The two kids walked off to bed, Akumu still holding his Chaos Emerald. Rouge let out a sigh as she watched them go.

"Teenagers," Rouge muttered. "My little kids are growing up. If only Shadow were here to see this."**

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And so it begins. Just to clarify it, Yume can use Chaos Magic, but she hasn't mastered it yet. For example, when she uses Chaos Control, she can't control where it goes yet. Also, Yume is as fast as Shadow, while Akumu can fly. For those of you who don't know, Akumu is japanese for Nightmare, and Yume is japanese for Dream. Anyway, see you all soon!**


	3. Return and Departure

**Okay, I would have gotten this done sooner, but I had to go somewhere today, so my chappies were lateish. Don't fear, for now this story gets Chapter 2, as well as an inkling of why Shadow's missing. Oh, and if the lines seem kinda' odd, teh Document Editor wouldn't let me make the lines, so I had to imporvise. Yoi.**

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It was now one a.m, and Rouge was still not asleep. She wished that she coul just doze off, but her mind was preoccupied. There was another reason that tonight had been such a hard night. It was exactly two years ago that Shadow had left them. The white bat remembered it clearly, for the sky was exactly the same: all covered in a blanket of clouds, no light whatsoever.

No one had ever been sure why Shadow had left. Rouge didn't remember any indications at all, no hints. She just remembered waking up one morning, all alone in bed. The only company she had was a note on the bedside table, explaining that he would be back in a few days. Rouge remembered waiting, her and the kids anticipating that he would return soon. But the black hedgehog never arrived, and life went on.

"Where did you go Shadow?" Rouge asked, but there was no reply. Same as last year. Oh, she hadn't forgotten him. She had gone to search for him, but there was no indication as to where he had gone. She had even asked Tails to search with his computer, but it seemed that the tracking device he had placed on Shadow previously had fallen off. It was as if the Ultimate Lifeform had disappeared in the blink of an eye, now just a fadeing memory. The kids had almost forgotten what it was like living with him, for now they were used to only having Rouge and Ciel around the house. They still remembered their father too, but they didn't know where he had gone. Rouge never told them, knowing that they woul most likely get in trouble trying to search for him.

The Master Theif's ears twitched. Did she hear footsteps? Maybe Ciel had finally made it back. She turned her head to see a dark figure in the doorway. It wasn't Ciel, for this hedgehog had actual quills. He took another step, the light from a nearby lamp illuminating him, revealing bright red stripes, with matching eyes.

"Shadow?" Rouge got up, eyeing the hedgehog in front of her. There was no mistaking it, he looked exactly like her husband. Everything was the same, even the faded scar on his arm from when it had been severed at the hands of Super Sonic about fifteen years ago.

"Oh Shadow, I knew you'd come back someday," Rouge cried, embracing her husband in her grasp. "Where'd you end up? You said you'd only be gone a few days, not a few years."

"We must leave," Rouge stopped, registering what he had just said.

"What, now?" Rouge exclaimed. "Whatever for Shadow? Let me guess, you'll explain on the way. Alright, I'll go grab the-" Before she could finish, his gloved hand was over her mouth, wrapping his other arm around the unsuspecting bat.

"Zynth requests that you come to his domain immediatly. You will comply," He said calmly. Rouge looked into the crimson eyes, instantly realizing it was not her lover. The eyes staring back at her were cold and stern. He was obviously following the orders of this, "Zynth," but why did he resmble Shadow so? Before she could try to escape, he dashed off at speeds only Sonic and Shadow could hope to reach, not leaving a trace as they were enveloped in the night.

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Akumu knew something was missing as soon as he woke up. He could feel it, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. Grabbing the purple emerald, the black bat walked into the kitchen, where his sister was eating a piece of toast.

"Morning," Akumu greeted. "Where's Mom? Shouldn't she be up by now?" His sister shrugged.

"You heard her," Yume said after chewing her food, "She had a night last night. Besides, don't you remember what last night was?"

"The anniversary of Dad's disappearence?" Akumu guessed.

"Bingo. She was probably up worrying about him all night, and got to bed late. We should let her sleep in."

"Oh, okay," Akumu replied, sitting down at the table. The feeling that something was wrong still irked him.

"What's even weirder though," Yume said after a while, "Is, well, I had a dream of Dad last night."

"So did I," Akumu answered. "We often share dreams, you know."

"You didn't let me finish," Yume retorted. "Anyway, I was half awake at one point, and you know what? I think I heard him."

"What?" Akumu stared at his sister in suprise, as she nodded.

"Yeah, I heard Mom talking to someone, and it wasn't Ciel. It sounded sorta' like Uncle Gemini, but a bit deeper. Remember that video we have of our parents and the gang? It sounded just like Dad. Akumu, I think Dad came back last night."

"That means that either he left again, or he's still here," Akumu noted.

"Let's sneak into Mom's room, and see if he's there." Yume smirked happily at her brother's shocked expression.

"B..but that's off-limits!" He stammered. "What if they're doing something in there, like...y'know, 'it'?"

"At seven in the morning? I don't think so Akumu," Yume stood up, marching over to her parent's room. Akumu, not wanting to miss out on anything, followed behind. Meeting in front of the door, Akumu put his ear to the door to see if he could hear anything. Nothing. Nodding to his sister, the twins opened the door. Inside was an oddly empty room, colored in a dark purple Club Rouge style. It looked as if it hadn't been touched since the night before last.

"No one's here," Yume muttered, closing the door. "Maybe they went out. There's probably a note in the living room. Come on, slowpoke." As they entered the living room, they did indeed see a note on the table next to the couch. The paper looked old and faded, with unfamiliar handwriting on it. Slowly, Akumu picked it up, reading it out loud.

_Rouge,_

_Something's not right. I've been having images pop up in my head again recently, but something's been off about it. I think Eggman's finally up to something, and it's dangerous. I'm going to check it out, and I'll hopefully be back in a few days. If I'm not...don't worry, that shouldn't happen. I am the Ultimate Lifeform after all, right? Anyway, see you soon dear._

_Shadow_

"So," Yume said, "Dad went to check on someone called 'Eggman.' I wonder who he is?"

"I think I heard the faker mention it once or twice," Akumu muttered, referring to Sonic. "Either way, Mom must have been reading this last night, and then something happened to her. And you know wherewe need to go to figure out where?"

"The Prower's House?" Yume replied.

"Exactly. The Prowers are incredible with technology, ya' know. They probably have something to track Mom and the others."

"Sounds good to me," Yume said, grinning in anticipation of an adventure. "Let's do it."

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**No real comment, but I would like to ask for one itty bitty thing. I'd like to know what everyone thinks of this so far! So, even if you aren't a person who normally reviews stuff, I'd like to hear your opinion! Thank you, kind people! Anyway, see you Tuesday.**


	4. The Children's Mission

**Oh my god, I am so sorry. I accidentally uploaded the chapter for _Triple Shadows: _Remix for this one! I'm really sorry, I got a little carried away while uploading so, here's the real chapter. Oh, and this chapter introduces the adult character's childern. All are mine.**

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On the outside, the Prower household looked almost normal. It was medium-sized, painted a nice shade of yellow-orange. But upon entering the house, you would find it anything but ordinary. Various machines littered the house, most of which were created by Tails. The twin-tailed fox was an inventor extrordanare, having been revered by scientists the world over for his mechanical prowess. Despite this, he preffered to live a modest lifestyle with his wife, Cream the Rabbit, and their son Chak, a yellow kitsune with orange markings. Chak had an intelligence rivalling his Tails at his age (which was almost seven), but was as kind as his mother. He even had his own chao, an orange flyer named Charo. As the twins entered the house, Chak greeted them at the door.

"Akumu, Yume," he greeted, "How nice to see you guys. We were wondering when you two would show up."

"You were expecting us?" Yume asked, taken aback.

"Well, all the other kids are here, so I assumed you'd show up sooner or later." Chak lead them into the living room, which was indeed filled with kids. The first to be noticed was Amythyst, the only kid the twin's age, and Sonic and Amy's only daughter. She looked like her mother with long hair, and fur that was a deep shade of violet. She wore a red dress like her nother, with matching boots. The girl was also quite fast, and a master with a wrench. She sometimes helped "Uncle" Tails out with his projects. Yume cast a glare at her, for the two had a rivalry. Akumu didn't mind Yume, he actually sort of liked her.

Beside Amythyst was Scorge, who was also Sonic's kid, but no one knew the mother. He was going to be eighteen in a few months, and he could finally leave home. He looked a lot like his father, with white fur that faded to blue. He wore a purple vest with matching boots, and bright green eyes. His navy-blue bat wings fluttered in irritation, for he was getting impatient. Much like his father, he didn't like to sit still long. Beside him was his best friend Mic, a thrice-reincarnated Angel chao. No one was sure how old the chao was, but they knew it was old.

On another couch was Knuckle's and Blaze's two children. There was an eleven year old purple echidna by the name of Burn, who was the next-in-line as guardian of the Master Emerald. He was basically a purple replica of his father, except with a long tail and yellow eyes. His dreadlocks were tied in a ponytail. Beside him was Magma, a purple cat with redish-pink hair. She wore a pink dress, and also wore her hair in a pony-tail. While her mother had fire-powers, Magma's power was self-explanitory. She could summon lava with the snap of her powers, but had been trained to keep it under control. She was a hyper seven year old, and next in line to guard the Sol Emeralds.

Finally, on a different set of chairs were Akumu and Yume's cousins, who were also distantly related to Burn and Magma. Tikal and Gemini's kids, Gem and Sai. Gem was a black echidna with orange stripes, bright blue eyes. She was about eight, and wore a blue dress. Beside her was Sai, a hedgeidna the same age as Burn. He was black with magenta stripes, hedgehog ears with echidna quills and fists. He had a fluffy patch of fur on his chest, and wore sunglasses like his father. Both kids were magic-proficient, Sai in dark magic and Gem in chaos magic.

"You're right Chak," Yume noted, "the gang's all here. But where are your parents?"

"That's what we're here to figure out," Burn explained. "Our parents have all disappeared."

"Uh huh," Gem said, "One day they were there, and the next they were just gone! Like magic!"

"Well, can't you just track them?" Akumu asked. Chak hung his head.

"No, we tried that," He explained, Charo sighing beside him. "The signal isn't strong enough for my computer to pick up."

"I bet we could use that Chaos Emerald you have there to increase the chances of finding it," Sai said as he pointed at Akumu's hand, since he had a sense for Chaos Energy like his mother.

"Yeah, that would probably work," Chak agreed, as Akumu handed them the emerald. While Chak set it up, the kids discussed what had happened.

"Well, our dad had gone off for a run," Amythyst explained. "He wasn't back for dinner, so Mom started to worry about him. She sent Mr. Eno to go after him, and said she'd go search for Dad tomorrow. After that, we all went to bed. When we woke up, she was gone."

"Maybe she went after him as soon as it was tommorrow?" Magma guessed.

"No, she never wakes up before five a.m, and we were awake since four since we couldn't sleep," Scorge replied. "Besides, Eno said he'd be back in the morning, but he never showed.

"Our Mom was missing a whole day," Burn said. "She was gone in the morning, so Dad had us search the island all day for her. We even got Sai, Gem, and their parents to help. Nothing."

"Then the next day, our Mom and Uncle Knuckles both disappeared," Sai added. "Dad freaked. He went off to find them, and he hasn't been back since."

"Our Mom and Ciel just disappeared," Yume said. "Mom said she couldn't find Ciel when she was at Club Rouge, so we figured he was lost or something. Then, when we woke up, Mom was gone too."

"So it's the same thing with all our parents," Akumu decided. "One parent disappears in the middle of the night. The other one looks for them and then either doesn't come back, or is gone the next night."

"Almost done," Chak announced. "Now, has anyone seen anything unusual on the night of the disappearenceses? I noticed that almost all of our A.I. robots were missing."

"That's odd," Scorge said. "I thought I heard Amy talking to someone in the middle of the night."

"Me too!" Yume exclaimed. "I thought I heard her talking to Dad!" Everyone stared at Yume after this sudden outburst.

"You mean Uncle Shadow?" Gem asked. "He was back?"

"Yeah, but he must have left," Akumu replied.

"Maybe he took our parents for some reason," Burn declared.

"Or maybe it was Eggman," Scorge muttered.

"Who's Eggman?" almost all the kids asked at once. Scorge sighed.

"He's a mad scientist our parents fought," he explained, Mic chaoing in agreement. "He was a human, but turned into an echinda cyborg. Eggman was a Machine Master, but his base was destroyed by Shadow and Sonic. No one's seen him since. Also, I've heard once that his grandfather created Mr. Shadow, Gemini, and Ciel over sixty years ago!" The room fell silent, until Chak's computer started to beep.

"Hey, the signal's working!" He exclamied. "I see a faint signal from everyone coming from..." The kitsune scanned the screen for a minute, all the kids watching in anticipation.

"Well, where is it?" Scorge asked impatiently.

"The signal seems to be emmitting from the Nocturne Mountains," Chak said slowly. "It seems that they're in some heavily fortified building. It's interferring with the signal, so I can't get a good reading." He stared for half a minute more. "It says it's in a place called Cybex Capital. What an odd name."

"Well then, we're just going to have to go there and find them," Scorge declared.

"You can't go Scorge," Chak said. "You're the oldest, so it's your responsibility to keep an eye on us. I need to stay here, and see if I can get any more info."

"Burn and I have to go home and guard the emeralds," Magma explained.

"We can go," Yume said, "and we'll get back our parents! Everyone else can all go to Angel Island and stay safe. Scorge, you should go keep and eye on them."

"Because I'm the oldest, I know," The hedgebat sighed.

"Don't think you're leaving me behind," Amythyst declared. "I'm old enough to go too!"

"You'd just get in the way," Yume snapped. "Akumu and I work alone."

"We'll, you can't tell me what to do," Amythyst replied smugly. "You aren't my parents, and I am older than you two."

"Only by a few months!" Yume snarled.

"Okay, cool it you two," Akumu said, getting in between the girls. "Look, we need all the help we can get to make sure we succeed. I'm sure it won't be that bad having her along, Yume."

"Oh, fine then," Yume finally agreed, "Let's go."

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**So now Akumu, Yume, and Amythyst are off to Cybex Capital! What will they encounter there? You'll see!**


	5. Welcome to Cybex Capital

**Like I said before, I sincerely apologize for the chapter mix-up last chapter. I promise that it will not happen again while I'm working on this story, alright? Good. Now for Chapter 5. Enjoy!**

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After a few days of planning, the trio headed to Cybex Capital,. It was a town in the middle of the Nocturne Mountain Range, and rather small despite it's name. Possibly due to this, there were no maps anywhere that had the town on it, so the kids had gotten there by use of their parent's old airboards, along with the directions from Chak.

Cybex Capital was quite different from most other Mobian cities. The houses weren't too odd, but were primarily made of metal. What was really weird was the lack of stores. There were only a few stores here and there, and barely anyone was at them. The buildings were small, and there was something about the people that was...off. Both Akumu and Yume felt it, and even Amythyst thought something was odd. The population of the town was mainly hedgehogs, echidnas, bats, cats, rabbits, foxes, and a few mixes of those species, mainly the former three. What was even weirder, was that some of them looked oddly familiar. Once, Yume could have sworn that she saw a fox with two tails like Mr. Tails, but she managed to convince herself that she was just tired from the trip. It was almost mightfall, after all. Eventually, the three teens decided to find a place to stay when they weren't searching for their parents.

"That looks like a good one," Akumu said, pointing out a small red building. A sign that read "Silvergem Inn" hang above the door.

"That's the only one we've seen," Amythyst noted. "I swear, this town isn't too great for travellers. In my opinion, it doesn't seem to great for anybody."

"It doesn't matter," Yume said sharply. "Look, we found an inn, so let's just get a room." The three entered the Silvergem Inn, which was run by A fluffy white cat, who was currently busy cleaning the main entrance when the kids entered.

"Oh, visitors," the cat said, rushing behind the counter. "I'm sorry, not a lot of people come around this inn. My name's Tony, what can I do for you?"

"We'd like a room for the night," Yume said. The cat eyed them.

"A little young, aren't you kids?" He cat asked. "You aren't from around here, are you?"

"I'm afraid we aren't," Yume replied. "We're here for some...er, business."

"No problem," the cat replied. "Right this way, please." The white kitty led the kids up flight of stairs. As they looked at the rooms they passed, most of them seemed to be empty.

"Excuse me," Akumu said, "but where are all the people?"

"Not a lot around here," Tony replied. "If you ask me, I say that this is a real strange town."

"We kinda' figured that," Amythyst mumbled.

"No, you don't get what I mean by 'strange,' kiddo," The cat's fur seemed to fluff up a little as his fur stood on end. "The people in this town don't always act like people, you see. Sure, they have jobs, homes, kids, and all that, but they don't have the same limits as some of us do. Sometimes, I've seen people here who have been working nonstop, and they aren't even tired!"

"Weird," Yume muttered. "We're just here because our pa-I mean, friends, got themselves lost around here." Yume didn't think it was a good idea to blab about their parents to this guy. He seemed talkative, and who knew what he would say to other folks. People might get suspicious.

"Then I'd be careful," Tony replied. "I've heard rumors that this town was originally a base for Dr. Eggman. He was a madman, you know. Some say he disappeared about two years ago, vanquished by the Master."

"Master?" All three kids asked at once.

"Yeah, that's what they call him around here," Tony mumbled. "The townsfolk call him that, but his name is really Zynth. He's basically the head of the town. He's nice to the people and all, but I've always found him a bit off. Now that I think about it, he sorta' looks like you kids." The cat pointed at Akumu and Yume.

"Us?" they both asked.

"Uh huh," Tony replied. "Zynth's a black hedgehog, real odd looking. He also sorta' has stripes like you too, and they're crimson. And his eyes...they're all red, and it's really creepy. A lot of the girls think it's cute, and some guys respect him for it. I just think it's creepy."

"Can you tell us where this 'Zynth' guy is?" Yume asked, a plan beginning to form in her mind. From his description, he sounded a bit like their father. It probably wasn't a coincidence, since black and red weren't commen colors for a hedgehog. That meant that maybe he had something to do with this.

"Just look out the window." The three did so, seeing a large building that looked like a large fortress. It was a wonder that they hadn't noticed it before, for it was pretty eccentric looking, especially in a place like this. It was tall and mechanical, looking almost like a robotic version of a fairy-tale castle, if only a tad bit shorter and modernized. It was painted gray and black, adorned with red flags that had a black gear in the middle.

"Well, here's your room kids," Tony said, taking them to the next room over. "We can negotiate pay in the morning, alright? Good night." The cat left the room, leaving the kids alone.

"That was odd," Amythyst noted. "What a strange place."

"It is," Akumu agreed. The black bat looked over at his sister. "You have a plan, don't you?"

"But of course," the scheming theif replied. "I'm thinking that this 'Zynth' guy might be Dad. The description fits, doesn't it? Black hedgehog, red eyes and stripes, and defeated Eggman. The note our dad left two years ago said that he was off to fight Eggman, and Tony did say that Zynth defeated Eggman about two years ago."

"Yeah, that's right," Akumu said, flapping his wings a little in excitement. "And since this town is small, and not on a map, it must be pretty new, right? Like, about two years old or so."

"Even more reason to prove that Zynth's really Dad," Yume exclaimed. "Tomorrow, I think we should head to that fortress and see what we can find out."

"Good plan, except for one thing," Amythyst said. "Do you really think he's going to let you all in with open arms? I mean, if he moved away from you guys and changed his name, he must not really want to come back, now does he?"

"Shut up, Faker," Yume snapped, using the same nickname her dad used for Sonic. "There is obviously a reason for all this. We're going to check it out tomorrow, alright?" The three kids ended up agreeing, and then went to work setting up their room for the night.

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That night, as the kids were asleep at the inn, there was a bit of a stir at the fortress. A light blue hedgehog was running through the place, carrying important news. He pulled up his emerald green robes, covering his left side and left arm. Both of these had been defective for as long as he could remember, the latter having been severed. His dull yellow eyes surveyed the area, until it fell upon a black figure standing by the window.

"Master Zynth, sir," the hedgehog said, "I bring a message."

"Mech, how many times must I ask you not to be so formal?" The figure turned around to reveal a black hedgehog, Master Zynth.

"I...I apologize sir, but I bring important news," Mech replied. He was Zynth's personal assistant, but he still feared his master's power as much as everyone else did, if not more. "The security camera's, the camoflauged ones you set around the city...they spotted the two hedgebat twins, Akumu and Yume. I believe they are the Ultimate Lifeform's children, are they not? They...they also came with Sonic's child, Amythyst. Should I set the city on alert?" The assistant was literally shaking in his shoes as Zynth's bloody gaze met his own. Zynth chuckled.

"So, the kids came looking for their parents, eh?" Zynth laughed, an unusally pyschothic laugh for such a leader. "Leave them, I'd like to enjoy watching them struggle. Any other news, Mech?"

"We..well sir, Commander Shade captured Rouge the Bat last night. The Ultimate Lifeform's wife, I believe. All the other prisoners are still in suspended animation." Mech lowered his gaze from his master, waiting for a reply.

"And the Main Prisoners?" Zynth asked.

"Still in their cell," Mech answered. "I believe that they may be planning their escape, though."

"Let them try," Zynth said, letting loose another laugh. "Then they can see what they're really up against."

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**Okay, I didn't really like this chapter as much, for it's sole purpose was to introduce Cybex Capital and Zynth. Yes, I realise that this story has a lot of OC's, but it's all part of the story, and there's only one or two more anyway. As noted before, I own all OC's. The only one I don't is Tony, who is owned by a friend of mine. (Nichole, I know you're reading this, so...hi!) The next chapter may have a slight delay, due to a slight case of writer's block and the fact that I'm busy on my next update-day. Hopefully, I will get it up, but chances are I might not. Either way, until next time, Goodbye!**


	6. Midnight Mysteries

**Hi again, I'm back! I've been having a case of writer's block with this part, but hpefully the rest of it will go away soon. But in case it doesn't, I'll just say that I might not be able to update this as often, though I will try to. Either way, here's Chapter 5 (or six, if you're counting prolouge).**

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It was still night time at Cybex Capital, but Yume could not sleep. The notion that she might be reunited with her father soon was clear in her mind. She had always been close to her father, both of the twins had. Yume looked down at her airshoes, which Shadow had given her on her tenth birthday. They were built similiar to his, except the soles were purple, and Yume had decorated the airshoes with the same spade-shape that adorned her spy-suit.

"Still can't sleep?" Yume turned her head to Akumu, whom the girls had made sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor (since the room had only two beds, which the girls had claimed).

"You can't either, I see," The white twin agreed. "I'm just so...I don't know, excited?"

"I just can't sleep," Akumu answered. "You know, I think I saw a jewlery store somewhere around here..."

"I get what you're saying," Yume got out of bed, searching through the small pack of stuff she brought for her equipment. A good heist would probably take her mind off of things. Besides, she didn't want to be out of practice when they got home.

"Ready?" Akumu asked after she grabbed her things.

"Of course I am," she replied, "Let's go." The hedgebat twins left, silently, leaving Amythyst asleep. A few minutes after they left, a mysterious figure climbed into the room, staying in the shadows. He looked around cautiously, not seeing what he had hoped to find. He did, however, see Amythyst.

"Blur to Zynth, Blur to Zynth, over," the figure spoke through a comm-link. "The twins are nowhere in sight, but the other girl is here. What do you request I do?"

"Bring her here," a cold voice on the otehr side replied. "The more the merrier, as they say."

"Roger that, over and out." The figure known silently picked up his new target, who opened her eyes.

"Hey, put me down, you-" The purple girl supressed a gasp as her eyes fell upon her captor, a familiar looking blue hedgehog. "Daddy?" Her captor didn't know how to respond, for Zynth had never trained him what to do in such a situation. But the mission was still clear: retrieve the target at all costs. So, he did the one thing he knew would get her to come with him, and hopefully without a fight.

"Yes," he replied, "Daddy's got you. Come on, let's go."

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"Damn, these people sure are confident about robbers," Akumu noted, scanning the area with a minature computer desigend for scouting out hostile machinery before their heists.. "No security systems whatsoever! Not even one guard! I swear, what are these people thinking?"

"I don't know," Yume replied, "but they're going to regret thinking that by the time we're out of here." Akumu nodded, putting his computer away in his own pack before the two sneaked inside. True to the scanner, there was nothing to stop them so far.

"It feels like a horror movie," said the bat-twin, looking around nervously. "I'd say it's almost to good to be true."

"What's so good about it?" his sister replied. "There's no challange in it. Part of the whole reason why we're thieves is for the excitement. Excitement and money, that's the purpose."

"I guess so," Akumu took out his computer again. "Hey, it says there's a robot in the next room." Yume quietly snuck to the doorway, looking through a crack. All she saw was jewlery and a shopkeeper, a rabbit girl.

"That can't be right," she replied. "There's only a shopkeeper. Either she couldn't sleep, or she thinks she's all that's needed to guard the jewels." Akumu joined her at the door.

"My computer doesn't show anyone in there except for a robot," he whispered, so they couldn't be heard. "So, either my comp's gotten majorly busted, or..." Suddenly, red lights filled the room, accompanied by the sound of sirens. The shopkeeper in the next room came to life, making her way toward the intruders at the door.

"We've been spotted," Yume cried. "Dammit Akumu, I thought you said there was no security!"

"There wasn't!" He claimed. "Come on, let's get out of here. Chaos Control!" The twins were warped to their hotel room, but were suprised to find it abandoned.

"This isn't right," Yume walked around the room, inspecting it. "Where'd the faker-girl go? Did she chicken out or something?"

"Her stuff's all here," Akumu pointed out. "It's as if she got out of bed, and disappeared. It's like she was..."

"Kidnapped," his sister finished. "Just great. I knew it wasn't a good idea to take her with us, but did anyone listen? No, and now we have to rescue Mom, everyone's parents, and that wench!"

"Cool it Yume," Akumu said. "Look, at least we know that we're in the right spot, right? We'll just need to find out who the heck took her, and why."

"And how the hell they could spot us without any security," Yume started pacing around the room, stopping in front of the window as her eyes rested on the citadel. "Can't you just warp us in?"

"Yume, if you don't understand Chaos Control, you won't be able to use it," Her brother groaned. "Remember, it's impossible to warp anywhere unless you've either been there before, or you know what it looks like. I wouldn't think it's a good idea to warp in front of the castle, and I have no clue what the inside looks like. It won't work."

"Stupid magic rules," the white hedgie muttered under her breath. "Well then, we'll just have to make a plan in the morning."

"I guess so. G'night Yume."

"Good night Akumu."

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The doors to the main chamber of the castle opened for the second time that night as another blue hedgehog entered. Unlike the last, he was a perfect replica for Sonic, a purple hedgehog girl slung over his shoulders. Thankfully, she had fallen back to sleep before he arrived.

"Ah, Commander Blur," Zynth greeted, his servant Mech nearby. "I see you have captured your target."

"Yessir," Blur agreed. "What do I do with her?" His master contemplated this for a minute.

"Put her in the dungeons with the other captives," Zynth said. "At least she will be reunited with her parents before the procedures begin." The two Sonic look-a-likes stared at him quizzatively.

"Procedures, sir?" Mech asked quietly.

"Yes, procedures," Zynth replied. "I shall be...shall we say, researching a specific part of the captives. For the betterment of our people, and to assure that we shall not be stopped when we expand our territory."

"You mean the continental invasion?" Blur asked, Amythyst still slung over him.

"The exact one," Zynth agreed.

"But sir," Mech spoke up, "may I ask what specific part of the prisoners we'll be researching?" Zynth smiled before replying, another sadistic smirk.

"Their souls, of course."

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**Okay, there you have it. What exactly is Zynth planning? Well, I certainly can't tell you yet, can I? Next chapter may be a day or so late, I'm not sure. See you when I see you!**


	7. Murderer!

**Oi, hello again people. I had writer's block again...argh. Either way, I'm getting over it, so here's Chapter 6. Hooray!**

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After paying the innkeeper for their room, the twins went out into the town to try and come up with a plan. They figured the walk would do them good, and they might possibly learn something about the castle. The twins soon learned that it was Market Day, so the streets were alive with vendors and shoppers. Even the lady whom they had attempted to rob before had a booth, offering luxorious jewlery.

"If we walked up to her stall and took a look at those gems, do you think she'd notice us?" Yume asked, eyeing the prizes from a distance.

"Sis, we have more important things on our mind than jewlery," Akumu pointed out. "We have to get to that castle, the sooner the better."

"Oh, I guess so," Yume replied, though she considered dropping by later if there was time. Suddenly, an echidna bumped into Akumu.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" The echidna yelled at them.

"Excuse me, but I believe you should watch where you're going!" Yume retorted. The echidna sneered at them before walking off.

"Something's missing," Akumu muttered, looking in his backpack. His eyes widened. "Yume, I think that kid stole the Chaos Emerald!"

"You're joking," Yume said. "No one would dare steal from us."

"It's not like he knows who we are," Akumu noted, "Or he wouldn't steal from us."

"Either way, that kid's gonna' feel sorry after we're through with him," Yume grabbed her brother by the wrist, and then broke into a run.

"There he is!" Akumu cried as Yume raced past. She did a u-turn, tackling the echidna theif to the ground.

"All right buddy, hand over the Chaos Emerald," Yume ordered. The echidna glared at her.

"No way," he said, "This is my emerald now. Finder keepers, losers weepers."

"Sorry bud, we don't play by those rules," Akumu declared. "Hand it over, or else."

"Or else what?" As soon as the theif said those words, Yume pinned him to the ground, stuffing her foot into his face.

"Or else you get a taste of my airshoes," She replied. The echidna was quiet. Akumu reached down to grab the emerald from his hand, and was punched in reply. In an instant, Yume activated the airshoes, the flames from the bottom melting his face.

"Sis, what are you doing?" Akumu asked, shicked at his sister for doing this.

"Hey, it's supposed to burn the fur, not melt it!" Yume explained as she removed her shoe. The echidna's face was gone, only melted gray metal and malfunctioning circuits.

"He was a...robot?" The twins asked at the same time. The bot was still, and all activity in the streets had stopped as all eyes fixed themselves onto the twins.

"Murderers!" Someone yelled. "They murdered Josh!"

"How could you be so heartless?" Another cried. "He was just a boy!"

"He was a robot, people!" Yume retorted. "He wasn't real, just a copy."

"Liar! Murderers!" The crowd began to chant these words over and over again, closing in on the twins. Akumu bent down, retrieving his emerald.

"Hurry up Akumu," Yume ordered. "Just grab it, and let's get out of here." The crowd was getting louder with their chants, and the kids were surrounded on all sides. Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard.

"Silence!" Everyone suddenly stopped. The twins looked around to see what was going on, as the crowd began to make way for someone. A light blue hedgehog in green robes stepped into the open space the crowd made. A figure stood behind him, but they couldn't tell what.

"Presenting our leader, Master Zynth!" he declared, as the crowd cheered. Out came the figure from behind the hedgehog, a black hedgie that looked like Shadow at first glance. A closer glance, however, showed that he was indeed someone else.Where Shadow's stripes were, Zynth had only an outline of the stripes. There were two blue marks under his eyes, deep crimson irises that were focused on the twins. After regarding them for a few minutes, he held his hand up to signal the crowd to be quiet, which they complied to do.

"So, you're Zynth?" Yume asked. He nodded.

"I am indeed," he replied. "And you are known as Yume. Your brother is Akumu." The twins gaped at him.

"How do you know our names?" Akumu asked. The black hedgehog shrugged.

"I have my ways." Zynth smirked in a fashion similiar to the twin's father. "Now, will you two be so kind as to explain to me what this is all about?" Something about the way he said those words made Yume's fur stand on end. He was calm, almost too calm, considering what was going on. All suspicions of Zynth possibly being their father disappeared, for there was no way Shadow could be that calm in the event of a murder.

"This echidna stole my Chaos Emerald," Akumu explained. "So my sister and I went after him to retrieve it. He wouldn't return it, so my sister threatened him. He still wouldn't give it back, so..."

"So they killed him!" cried a member of the crowd. More people began to agree, only to be silenced by Zynth once more.

"I didn't mean to kill him," Yume added. "My air shoes aren't supposed to burn through fur. Besides, he's a robot."

"And what is the difference between killing a robot, and killing an organic lifeform such as yourselves?" Zynth asked. Yume stared at him quizzitively.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked. "Robots are just copies that are made to look like the real thing. There's no way they can live like one of us. Besides, if one dies, you can just make more of them in a factory." The crowd gasped at this reply, and even Zynth's servent seemed taken aback. Their leader, however, remained calm. Akumu thought he felt a small surge of energy at this comment, but the feeling soon went away.

"I see," Zynth replied. "So that is how you feel. We shall continue this conversation back in my citadel. Guards, take them away." Two guards, a bat and a fox, grabbed the twins by their shoulders, leading them away. Behind them, the crowd cheered at the prospect of the "murderers" being sent away.

"Well, isn't this a nice way to start our investigation?" Yume asked.

"Shh, keep quiet," Akumu ordered, gripping his Chaos Emerald.

"I'll be taking this," Zynth added, snatching away Akumu's emerald before he could do anything with it.

"Bastard," Yume muttered once he was out of earshot.

"Well, at least we'll be in the citadel," Akumu noted. "Maybe we can figure out where our parents are."

"I hope we can," Yume agreed. Without anything else to say, the twins continued to be marched to the looming citadel.

"And now," Zynth muttered to himself, "I have the Ultimate Lifeform's whole family."

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**Okay, didn't see that coming, did you? If it's confusing at the moment, that is perfectly fine, it's supposed to. A bit of the stuff shall be explained next chapter. Until then, I'll be seeing you. Please tell me how I'm doing, alright? Thank you.**


	8. Zynth's Little Speech

**I have no comment for once. Well, this chapter will probably ease up at least a bit of you reader's confusion. Probably not all of it, but at least some of it. I hope. Either way, please enjoy the new chapter!**

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In a little less than an hour, the twins had been successfully transported to the Citadel. Up close, it was even more gray and foreboding than when it was viewed from a distance. It was mechanical, with gears and bolts everywhere, operating the Citadel without any walls to hide them. It was truly a marvel to watch, making teh viewer feel like they were really inside a machine. The guards restraining the kids from running off ushered them inside, following after Zynth and his assistant.

"That will be all," Zynth said to the guards, motioning them away. "Akumu, Yume, if you would be so kind as to follow me." Reluctantly, the two complied, following him through many halls and staircases. They stopped after a while, in a large room that seemed much like an oversized office.

"I feel like I'm in a principal's office," Yume whispered to her brother, as the hedgehog before them motioned them to sit down. The twins sat down in a pair of chairs seated before a large desk, with Zynth standing behind the desk.

"Welcome to my office," He greeted. "If you haven't guessed, this is where I tend to hold conference with my subjects."

"Well, we aren't your subjects," Yume growled. "So, what are we here for?"

"As we said before, we didn't mean to kill that echidna," Akumu added. "It was just a robot anyway." Zynth looked disappointed.

"Just a robot, you say," He muttered, tapping a side of the desk in habit. "And what, may I ask again, is the real difference?"

"It's pretty obvious," Akumu explained. "Robots are generally made of metal, and can be produced by humans. Some of them possess an aritifcial intelligence, or an A.I. Robots will do anything they are programmed to, and will only do that. They are designed to follow any orders, unless it involves harming other non-robots, or organic lifeforms like us." Yume sighed at her brother's speech. He was a bit of a nerd sometimes, in her opinion, but it was good to have one person know all the techy stuff.

"That is true," Zynth replied, "but what if their A.I. is created similiar to an organic lifeform? What if they can feel emotions?"

"They're still robots," Yume pointed out, "And they can't be the same as non-bots. Besides, it's impossible to create an A.I. with emotions exactly like us. Even I know that, and I'm not a nerd."

"That is where you are mistaken," Zynth paced a little behind his desk. "Professor Gerald was the first scientist to ever create a robot with 'human' emotions, did you know? He was also the one who managed to create the Ultimate Lifeform, also known as your father, as well as his brothers, and a variety of other inventions. Now tell me, do your uncles and your father have the same emotions 'regular' people do?"

"Of course," Akumu agreed, "But they aren't robots."

"They were created like ones," Zynth smirked. "They were created by robots, along with Gerald, and have a bit of robotic traits. That was how they were designed. Now tell me, have any of you ever been told about Dr. Robotnik? You may know him as Dr. Eggman."

"Only too recently," Yume admitted. "Madman who made robots, and you defeated him, or so we heard." Zynth chuckled.

"Well, I won't brag, but I do admit I subdued him," Zynth agreed. "You see, he was a genius of sorts. Like his predecessors, he made robots with successful A.I.s, the latest being made two years ago."

"Two years ago...that's when Dad disappeared!" Yume realized. "Do you know what happened to him?"

"I'm afraid I do not," Zynth said, "but that is beside the point. A robot that has emotions like other organic lifeforms...that is really the Ultimate Lifeform."

"What?" Both twins asked in suprise.

"But of course," Zynth put a hand to his neck, peeling off a piece of skin. Instead of blood coming out, it revealed a cod on his neck. It read, ESh-025, and a stamp below it read, DEFECT.

"You...you're a robot?" Akumu stammered.

"Yes I am," Zynth replied. "You never suspected it, because I have emotions like you, see?" The twins stared at him, not knowing quite what to say.

"What does it mean by defect?" Yume asked after a while. She smirked. "Were you not roboty enough to be a robot?" The robo-hedgie in front of her glared at her.

"I was a Shadow Android," He began, "and an unusually strong one at that. But was I accepted into Dr. Eggman's army? No, because I was not an exact replica of the Ultimate Lifeform. So I was cast aside, thrown out and forgotten. During that time, I got to thinking about how unfair it was. We androids, who have all the capabilities and more of a regular lifeform, but we were to be forced into mindless battle and war. So, in order to liberate my kind, I took control of the Doctor's army. With them, along with some androids I created later, we established this town."

"Well, good for you," Yume said. "Now, why have you taken our mother and her friends hostage?"

"Because they are a threat," The black android smirked. "I do admit, we androids consider them enemies, for it is in our programming. Despite that, it does make sense, for they have foiled Dr. Eggman numerous times in the past. We cannot allow the same to happen to us. Now, I'm afraid you shall be going now."

"What do you-" Suddenly, the floor under the twins disappeared, dropping them into the dark below. They were caught partway down by a pair of cold metal arms, which lowered them down to a prison cell.

"I can't believe it," Akumu muttered. "It was a cheap trick just to capture us!" A prison guard, a purple hedgeidna, opened the cell door, throwing them inside.

"You two'll stay here, until Master decides what cell to put you in," the hedgidna explained. "I wouldn't go trying to escape, because no one has ever gotten out of here without permission." Akumu motioned for Yume to hold her tounge as the kids were closed inside.

"Sweet dreams kiddees," The prison guard said, and then the twins were locked in.

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**X3 Were you expecting that? I hope the conversation about the robots wasn't too confusing. If anyone has a question, just ask it in a review, or drop me a PM. I'll make sure to answer it for you. Until next time, later!**


	9. Just Like Her Mother

**Okay, hi guys! Just so you know, the next chapter may come out on Friday, because I have registration Wednesday, and the power's out Thursday. So, Chapter 9 may be late, alright? Okay then, Chapter 8 is here!**

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It was dark in the dungeons, almost completely black. The only light came from a few small lights attatched to the ceiling, no windows whatsoever. There was no indication that morning had arrived, unless either some lucky captive had a watch, or one of the prison guards was nice enough to tell the time. At the moment, it was in fact eight a.m. when Zynth's assitant Mech paid a visit to the dungeon.

"Excuse me," Mech said to the purple hedgeidna guard, "but I have orders from Master Zynth to re-locate these two." The guard looked at him mockingly.

"Seriously?" the guard asked. "I can't believe that Master would trust someone as weak as you to transport the visitors."

"I am not weak, only partially disabled," Mech contradicted, trying not to sound nervous. "Now, wake up the prisoners already."

"You heard the guy," The hedgidna shouted, turning to the twins in the cell behind him. "Wake up ya' sissies, you're getting moved." The twins, who had eventually fallen asleep after being stuck in the cell, were both jolted out of their sleep by the guard.

"That was fast," Akumu noted as the guard opened the door. Brief thoughts of escape came to mind, until he noticed that his hands were handcuffed. A quick look at Yume revealed that she was cuffed too. Being at a disadvantage, the twins had no choice but to follow the light blue hedgehog down the dungeon corridors.

"They sure made a lot of cells," Yume said, passing rows of barred rooms.

"We need a place to keep prisoners, especially when Master Zynth begins the Continental Invasion," Mech explained.

"Continental Invasion?" The twins both asked. The assistant hedgehog faltered a little.

"Oh...did that slip?" Mech asked. "Uhhm...never mind that I said that. No invasion at all, no siree. Just...keep walking you two, we're almost there." After a few more minutes, an entrance came up ahead.

"WARNING," A sign atop the entryway read, "The prisoners in this section are highly dangerous. Do not release, unless specifically ordered to by Master Zynth." The twins noted that it was even darker in this section than the one they were in, so it was hard to tell who were inside the cells.

"Is this where we are?" Yume asked. Ahead, she could somewhat make out the form of Mech nodding his head.

"This sector, yes. You two are located near the end...I think. Hold on," Mech stopped, turning to one of the prison guards. "I need to check where these two go. Can you make sure they don't escape? Please?"

"No problem Mech," The guard sounded quite familiar. "I can guard these two." The assistant hedgehog nodded as he walked off, nervously glancing behind his shoulder.

"So, you two are Akumu and Yume," the guard noted. He stepped up to the twins, the dim light revealing him to be another blue hedgehog, but this one was familiar to the kids.

"Mr. Sonic?" Akumu asked. "You're the guard?" The Sonic look-a-like shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Sonic the Hedgehog is in there," The guard explained. The twins looked in the cell behind him, seeing he was right. The blue blur was sprawled across the floor, lightly snoring. His right leg was heavily bandaged, and there was a small, yet noticable hole in his left shoulder.

"So that's where Sonic got to," Yume realized, "So that means that all the other adults are in here too." The two teens turned around, trying to make out some recognizable figures in the dark. Almost all of the adults were there, silently asleep.

"I'm suprised they aren't awake," Akumu said. "Especially Sonic, he's a really light sleeper. Our voices should have woken him up by now."

"Not a chance," the guard replied. "They get drugged to sleep each night, so they won't try to escape. Our scientists make some pretty strong sedative, it keeps them down for the whole day. Those that are immune to it are put in bondage instead." The twins were silent, wondering if a near-permanent sleep or bondage was worse.

"So...are you a robot too?" Yume asked, trying to change the subject.

"Why, yes I am," he replied. "I am Commander Blur, also known as ES-096." Akumu easily caught the evil glint in his sister's eyes before they softened, giving her the seductive look their mother had mastered years before.

"You know, I've always thought robots were pretty cool," The white hedge-girl said to the commander. "Are you really an exact replica of Sonic?"

"Exactly like he looked two years ago," Blur agreed. "In fact, all the staff here are clones. Most of the town is too, except for the few people that moved in later. Everyone is a replica of either Sonic, his allies, or one of his kids. Of course, we are stronger, not to brag or anything."

"I love strong men," Yume noted, batting her eyelashes. She grinned at Blur's expression, a mix of puzzlement and pride. "You androids sound perfect. So tell me, what are you all planning to do? You certainly aren't going to stay in Cybex Capital your whole life."

"Of course not," He admitted. "Eventually, we're going to spread our influences all over the world. Zynth says it's a benefit to both of us. Us androids get more territory, and non-androids have someone to stop them from screwing themselves over. They make a mess of everything, you know."

"Oh, I do know," The white hedgie took a step forward, leaning towards the blue guard. "You know, I wish that I was an android too. It's so much better sounding."

"Really?" Blur asked. Yume dropped the seductive look, smirking.

"Do I look like a suck up to you buddy?" She raised her arms above her head, bringing them down upon the commander's own. The metal cuffs left a nice sized dent in the androids head, which was followed up with a kick that would make live men drop in place. Akmu, catching the hint, charged into the falling body of the bot, making the Sonic clone crash into the ground.

"Nice one sis," Akumu cheered. "I almost thought you were serious for a moment there."

"Me? A toady? Get real bro." Yume turned towards the direction they had seen Mech run off in earlier. "I'll bet you anything that assistant has the keys to these cells. Grab them, and we can get everyone out."

"What are we waiting for?" Akumu asked. "The sooner this is over with, the better."

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**Trust me, this isn't over by a long shot. Next chapter will be much more exciting if I have anything to say about it. Until I get that up, see you later!**


	10. Busting Out

**I'm ba-ack! Oh yay! I was busy before, but I'm here with Chapter Nine. Guess who shows up in this chapter? Eggman, along with the last OC (Well, major OC). Anyway, I'm in a writing mood, and I've been reading a real good sci-fi/fantasy series. It's called the _Mageworlds_ series, by Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald. If you can find a copy, I'd suggest reading it. If you want to know more, just ask me. Okay, on to the new chapter!**

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The kids silently made their way through the dungeon. It was so dark in their that most of the guards didn't notice them. They were used to hearing footsteps if someone came near, but Yume's airshoes (that was remarkably had not been taken away) made it so that she was floating a few inches above the ground. Akumu could just fly, and he could fly quieter than a moth. Except for the two theives, the prison was still and quiet, the only noise being the quiet snores of some of the prisoners.

"I see a light ahead," Akumu whispered to his sister. It was true, there was a soft light ahead of them, coming from a partially ajar door. Another warning sign hung above this door, this time stating that only Master Zynth and certain personell could enter. Ignoring the warning, Yume entered, with her brother close behind.

"I suppose that assitant went in here," Yume whispered. Her twin nodded, shutting the door quietly behind them, so not to bring attention. This room was like a seperated part of the corridor of cells they had just exited, but there was only one cell inside. Outside of it was the assistant, looking at the creatures inside. The twins leaned in a little to see what was going on.

"So, you thought I was up to something? Think again, ya' lousy clone," The speaker was an orange echidna. Various parts of his body were robotic, including his left eye and arm, as well as his right leg. The other inhabitant of the cell was a male hedgehog, with nothing really noticable about him. He was pale and gray, with some of his quills sticking up instead of down. His shoes and gloves were bland, and the only thing that stood out were his eyes. The were slightly arched, and the irises were a dull red with no pupils. Oddly, the hedgehog's attention was not on the echidna, or Zynth's assistant. Actually, he was looking straight at the twins. It sent a chill down their spines, until Yume broke the gaze by looking at her brother.

"Why do you think these two are locked up here, instead of with the others?" She whispered to Akumu, their conversation blocked out by an argument between the assitant and echidna cyborg. The black bat shrugged.

"I don't know, but I don't like either of them," he admitted. "Well, at least the echidna is only part robot. I don't know about that hedgehog."

"Still, they are prisoners of Zynth..." Another evil smirk came across Yume's face. "Think we should help them bust out of here?"

"What? Yume, what are you thinking?" Yume sighed at her brother's suprise.

"Well, they are probably locked in here because they're dangerous," The white hedgehog explained. "If we let them out, they can deal with Zynth. Meanwhile, we snatch the assistant's keys, free everyone else, and escape scot-free!"

"But what about that Continental Invasion thing?" Akumu asked.

"Hey, we can fight off a bunch of bots anyday they invade," Yume concluded. "Now listen, do you still have your emergency lockpick?" Akumu nodded, he always kept a lockpick in a pocket that was sewn into his sock. He fished it out, using it to unlock the cuffs on his and his sister's handcuffs. Once that was done, Yume began to explain her plan...

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"I know you are up to something," Mech retorted, trying not to break eye contact with the echidna before him. This particular echidna was feared by almost everyone in Cybex Capital, possibly even by Zynth himself. Besides being a cyborg, this echidna was actually no other than Dr. Eggman. How he had obtained that name was a mystery to Mech, but he did hear that Eggman had not always been an echidna. Not a lot of robots knew the full detail, excluding Master Zynth.

"Well, maybe I am for once," The mad doctor admitted. "I know I can mention it to you. Heck, if I tried to escape, you'd be too scared to do anything other than run to tell an official I escaped, because you're too weak! Hah, I knew you were a reject."

"I...I am not a reject," Mech retorted, even though his voice proved the statement wrong. "Either way, I shall make sure that security is tightened around here, so that you will not be able to escape." The clone's eyes drifted to the gray hedgehog that Eggman shared his cell with. It was a known fact that only Zynth knew why he was in there. No one knew anything else about the gray hedgehog, except that Eggman called him "Ghost," for lack of a better name. Mech noticed that Ghost's souless eyes, ones that were usually fixed on visitors, were gazing at something else. He turned his head in the same direction, and what he saw caught him by suprise.

"Oh, you noticed us?" Yume asked, noticing the assistant. "Too bad, I'm afraid you're prison guard was unable to contain us."

"Stand still, you're wanted criminals!" Mech began to reach into his robe with his good hand, trying to pull out a comm-link to contact security. Before he could, he was grabbed from behind by Akumu.

"I don't think so buddy," He muttered. "Now, hand over the keys." Mech was frozen by fear, so Akumu tried to forcefully extract the keys while Yume tried to bust down the door to Eggman's cell. The echidna cyborg stared at Yume in disbelief.

"So I guess it has been thirteen years," he muttered. "I remember when you two were born."

"You what?" Yume asked, trying to concentrate on breaking in.

"I was there when you two were born," Eggman explained. "Your parents had you at my base, after all. It was a rather hectic day, I remember. Left my base trashed completely, and was I thanked for the help I gave? No, not at all."

"If I were the one in the jail, I wouldn't be complaning about deaths while someone's trying to rescue me," The white theif replied. Finally, she broke the last of the hinges with one swift kick. "Stupid door could only be broken from the outside."

"Sis, he doesn't have the keys!" Akumu cried, still holding Mech in his grasp. "What do we do now?"

"Escape, what else?" Eggman turned to the twins. "Which one of you is the fast one?"

"I am," Yume replied.

"Ah, it's always the hedgehog, isn't it? Well then, Yume, grab Akumu and Mech. Ghost, you grab onto me. We're busting out of here."

"But what about our mom, and all the other adults?" Yume asked angrily. "Do you think we can just leave them here?"

"We can't save them now kid," Eggman retorted, "So I suppose you will just have to leave them here. Now, grab those two and come on!"

"Oh no, you aren't taking me," Mech cried. "I have no part with you, so let me go!"

"Not a chance," Akumu replied. "You are coming with us, whether you like it or not." Yume then reluctantly grabbed her brother and Mech as she charged up her airshoes. Eggman began to charge up his own boots, designed like rocket skates. He quickly grabbed Ghost, who was just staring blankly into space.

"Just follow me, alright?" The cyborg ordered. "I know the directions out of here, alright? Hold tight, we're in for a ride." With a blast of his mech-boots, Eggman was off, with Yume trailing close behind. The complex seemed so small, and everything seemed so slow compared to the speeds they were running at. Yume had to go a little slower than usual to make sure she didn't bump into the echidna in front, or any of the prison guards, for that matter. Eggman made a sharp turn left. Yume turned also, but in front of her was another robot.

"Make way!" She yelled, pushing the android aside. Her speed, combined with the impact, caused the robot to crash into the other wall of the corridor, but the speedy hedgie didn't take time to notice. Following, she managed to catch up to Eggman.

"Almost there?" She asked between breaths, starting to break a small sweat.

"Almost," he concluded. "We just have to get up to the first floor, and we're out of here. Unless, of course, you would prefer running up a few stories, and jumping out a window."

"I'll pass," she replied. "Just wondering, are any of these clones as fast as we are?"

"Well, I think a few of the clones might. Let's see, at the speed we are going, the only types of clones that could catch us are Sonic, Shadow, Gemini, and Blaze clones."

"You didn't make too many clones, did you?" Yume asked.

"Well, I was on the verge of having created ten thousand..." Sirens began to sound throughout the dungeon, as blurs began to appear alongside the speeding team.

"Halt, you are under orders to stop," One blur ordered, a Blaze clone. "Halt, or we shall have to take drastic measures. Back-up is en-route to this coordination."

"Damn," Akumu muttered to Yume, "I don't like the looks of this."

"Well, not much we can do about it," Yume replied, until an idea struck her. "Say, does Mech have a Chaos Emerald with him?"

"Only the one Zynth confinscated from you," he replied. "I was entrusted with it. You can't have it!"

"Too bad, hand it over," Yume barked. Mech silently put the emerald to her hand, since she was busy holding him and Akumu. Even so, the contact of the Chaos Emerald sent it's power into her veins. Quickly, she grabbed Eggman.

"Time for a hasty retreat," She warned, "So let's hope I can pull it off. Chaos Control!"

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**Will Yume's emergency Chaos Control work? You'll have to wait until next time!**


	11. A Deal with Eggman

**Chapter 10! Double digits! Yay! Just so you know, since I started High School today, the chapters for my stories are going to be a tad bit later now. Also, I will alternate update days, so _Crimson Stripes_ and _Triple Shadows:Remix_ most likely will be updated on opposite days, alright? Okay then, let's go!**

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Back at the Silvergem Hotel, the group of five appeared in a hotel room with a flash of green light. Yume, Akumu, Eggman, Ghost, and Mech all landed on the floor with a thump.

"Not as smooth as I'd like, but I did it," Yume said, congratulating herself. "I barely ever get it right."

"You haven't mastered Chaos Control yet?" Eggman asked, dusting off his metal arm as he rose to his feet.

"No," Yume replied, shaking her head. "I always had trouble with it. Akumu's the one who's better with magic, as well as techno stuff. I'm better with athletics and sneaking. In our job, I do the main work, while he does side and back-up work."

"Theives, I suppose," Eggman turned around to face the rest of the group. "Well, we're out. Now, to figure out what to do. Akumu, Yume, you two are trying to retrieve your mother and the other adults, right?"

"That's the plan," Akumu agreed.

"Alright then, I have a proposistion for you," A smirk crept across the cyborg's face. "I shall assist you two in your little mission. In return...you and the adults shall not be able to attack me or my bases after this is all over. Deal?"

"Hold on a minute," Yume ordered, "We need to talk this over." Akumu and Yume walked out of the room, making sure they were out of earshot.

"I don't know about this Yume," Akumu muttered. "From what we've heard, this guy is a nutcase, and both he and his grandfather are technological masterminds. Also, Eggman was the one who made all these clones, remember."

"True," His sister replied, "but we need all the allies we can get. Besides, chances are that Eggman knows more about Zynth and his army than we do. Speaking of which, why the heck is he called Eggman? Lame name for a scientist, if you ask me."

"Who knows how madmen think," The bat sibling sighed. "Well, what do we have to lose? I guess we should agree with him."

"Agreed," Yume replied. The twins shook hands on it, and then returned to the room. The eyes of Eggman and Mech were on them as they entered, while Ghost stared outside the window, his face blank.

"Dr. Eggman, we agree with your proposition," The twins declared at the same time. The echidna chuckled in amusement.

"It's obvious you two are twins," He noted. "Either way, good. I shall hold you to your agreement, and you hold me to mine."

"Alright then, we have some questions we want to ask," Yume said. "First off, why are you helping us? It's not just for the immunity from us and the adults, is it? And secondly, what about Mech and Ghost?"

"You caught me with the first one," Eggman admitted, putting up his hands in mock surrender. "Zynth was a defective Shadow Clone that betrayed me, locked me up, took control of all my robots, and destroyed my lab to boot. All I want is some payback on it, that's all. As for Mech, I think we can use him when we attempt a plan on the base."

"You wouldn't dare!" Mech cried. "I am Zynth's assistant! His right-hand man! I would never betray him!"

"It's better than the alternative," Akumu explained. "Since you are with us, you could get arrested for betraying Zynth and his rules, couldn't you?"

"But I never did help you!" Mech retorted in suprise. Yume grinned evily.

"You allowed us to escape, and then you gave me a Chaos Emerald, didn't you?" Mech gaped, at a loss of how to respond to this accusation. Eventually, he just hung his head to the floor in silence.

"You still haven't answered our other question," The hedgehog twin pointed out to Eggman. "What about Ghost? Surely he isn't coming with us?"

"On the contrary, I believe it would be foolish not to take him with us," The mad doctor replied. You see, Zynth is afraid of Ghost. Don't ask me why, but he is. You see, Ghost is missing his soul, and therefore his personality and memory. I have reasons to believe that Zynth took it for the robots. Thing is, this lack of soul scares Zynth, because that is what he believes will happen to all the androids if the soul was recovered. They would be just normal robots, and Zynth doesn't want that. Also, Ghost is unusually handy with Chaos Magic."

"So, Ghost has no memory or personality," Yume concluded. "If we get his soul back to him, then we won't have to worry about all these robots. It's the perfet plan!"

"Ho...how dare you s...say such a thing?" Mech asked, so bewildered that he was stutterring. "You d...dare take our souls? We are j...j...just as alive as you flesh-a...and-blood cr...creatures!"

"No, you are robots!" Yume yelled at him. "We could just mess with your circuits and stuff, and you wouldn't have snuff. You can't do that with a real person, can you?"

"If done correctly, you can." Everyone turned to Ghost, who had just spoken. His voice was a tad deeper than the average voice, but there was no tone whatsoever. Just emotionless words, as if they had no meaning. Once again, a chill ran down the twin's spines. Oddly, the voice sounded a tiny bit familiar to Yume, but she couldn't place why. Shaking it off, the white theif looked outside.

"I don't think any of the androids back at the citadel know we're here," she said. "If they did, I'm sure the townspeople would be looking for us."

"They would," Mech confirmed, having calmed down enough to talk normally. "For Zynth, they would do anything in a heartbeat. Well, if we had hearts, anyway."

"You will not alert them," Yume ordered. "Either you help us, or you're going to a scrap yard. Got it?"

"I suppose," The assistant agreed, looking down at the floor. "So, where to know? Zynth's army will find us here eventually."

"Oh, I know a place where they will never find us," Eggman replied. "Grab your stuff everyone, and then meet me at the door to the inn. We're headed to my final base."

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**Oi, the Final Base! Well, I'll see you all next chapter, which may be late. I have relatives over. Anyway, see ya'!**


	12. Journey to the Final Base

**Hey folks, I'm back. Sorry it took me so long, I had relatives over. Good thing about it, though, is I got a new computer! With spell check on it, too! No more stupid spellings errors (at least, not as much). Also, we're now on Chapter 11. Oddly, not as many people are reviewing this. Not to sound desperate or anything, but that's a little depressing, compared to my recent stories. Am I doing something wrong with this? If you have a tip or anything, it will be appreciated. Thanks.**

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The gang laid low at the Silvergem Hotel until nightfall, remaining as quiet as they could. When they were absolutely sure the coast was clear, Eggman broke the silence.

"I'd say that now is the perfect time to head out," He said. "If we wait any longer, I fear that Zynth's patrol will end up finding us, or he'll figure out where we got to."

"He has cameras fixed all over the city," Mech explained. "If we go outside, we surely will be capture. It's impossible to shoot them as well, because the cameras are installed in with a cloaking device. Unless you have a way to turn invisible, then there's no way we can get out of here without being spotted."

"Well, isn't that just lovely?" Yume groaned. "So Eggman, how exactly are we going to this "Final Base" of yours?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Eggman asked. "We use Chaos Control!"

"But neither of us know where it is," Akumu pointed out. "I can't warp anywhere, unless I've been there before, and Yume can't even do that much half the time." The bat's sister glared at him for this remark, but the echidna just laughed.

"You may have never been there," He said, "But you are forgetting that Ghost can use Chaos Magic also. Chaos Control will be easy for him. Besides, he's been to my base." The twins were tempted to ask why Ghost had been there, but Eggman was already asking Akumu for his Chaos Emerald. The black thief complied, handing Ghost the purple Chaos Emerald.

"Gather around me," Ghost ordered flatly, walking to the center of the small room. His features were illuminated by the moonlight from a nearby window, making his expressionless face seem even blanker than normal, and his eyes slightly glowed bright red. The others formed a circle around him.

"I highly doubt that this will work," Mech said. "Zynth told me that all of your bases were already destroyed, Dr. Eggman. He made sure of it with the last one." Eggman smirked, his robotic eye also glowing in the darkness.

"Oh, that's what he thinks," The mad doctor exclaimed, looking completely insane. "You see, a good evil genius always comes with a Plan B. We just need to be warped to the site of the original base, and I can take it from there. Ghost, now." Ghost nodded on command, lifting up the emerald.

"Chaos Control," The dull hedgehog said, the emerald flashing as they were all swallowed in a flash of light.

"Wow, his Chaos Control is a lot different from ours," Yume thought to herself. "He must have had a lot of experience with it before." Suddenly, the white thief briefly saw a black and red figure before her, eyeing her before it vanished.

"Daddy?" Yume thought, not sure what she had just seen. As quickly as they had entered into it, the group was thrust out of Chaos Control, and into a massive pile of scrap-metal.

"This is it?" Akumu asked irritably. "This is your base? It's a pile of rubbish!"

"Oh, this is only what Zynth took out," Eggman explained, looking around for something. "Now, where was it…oh, here it is!" He bent down to the floor, lifting up a precariously placed secret entrance that le under the ground.

"You mean to tell us that you have an area of the base underground?" Mech asked.

"Not just an area of the base," Eggman replied happily, "but a whole extra base! After Sonic and Shadow destroyed my last base thirteen years ago, I decided that the one afterwards would be two bases in one, just incase someone tried to destroy it again! Come, we have work to do." Grabbing onto a ladder underneath the secret door, Eggman began to climb downward. Ghost immediately followed, with Mech muttering under his breath as he went a few seconds later. Only Akumu and Yume were left.

"Sis, is something up?" Akumu asked. "You seem like something's on your mind."

"When we were in Chaos Control, I think I saw Dad," She explained. "Do you think he could be close by?"

"Well, his note did say he was coming here, so it could be a possibility," Akumu agreed, looking around at the rubble. "For now, we should just focus on getting rid of Zynth. I bet you anything he knows what happened." Yume smiled, springing out of her seat.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Yume asked. "Let's get going."

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**Okay, there we go. In case you didn't know, I'm coming up with most of this as I go. I only have Act Three of this story in mind, but the rest is new to all of us. Could you tell? Either way, I hope to see you soon!**


	13. Blueprints and Robots

**Oh yeah! I finally updated this! Sorry I didn't sooner, but I had writer's block on the brain. I will say that it's clearing up now, thankfully. This chapter will sort of mention/explain a bit of stuff from _You Never Know,_ in case you haven't read that. Oh, and I do not own Eggman's robot trio. So now, on to Chapter 12. (In other news, the line button works again! Yay!)

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The Final Base was a technological marvel, one only upstaged by the Cybex fortress and Mr. Prower's laboratory. Everything was made out of metal, and various blueprints for robot designs littered the walls like wallpaper. The appliances were all made out of the remains of old robots, dating back to about twenty-five years ago (around the time of the original Sonic the Hedgehog game). Mech and the twins gazed upon it in awe, while Eggman chuckled at their reactions.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Eggman asked, gazing at some of his own designs. "I swear, I almost thought I would never see this place again." The Doctor turned towards one of the hallways. "Bocoe, Decoe, Bokkun, I order you to come here at once!" Three robots entered the room. One was tall, lanky, and gold (Decoe), one was short, squat, and silver (Bocoe), and the third was tiny and black, with two ear/quill like things sticking out of the side of its head (Bokkun).

"Dr. Eggman, you have finally returned to us," Bocoe stated, as he and Decoe made a bow. Bokkun just glared at his creator.

"What took you so long?" Bokkun asked. "We've been stuck here for two whole years! Do you know how boring that is?"

"Fascinating," Mech muttered. "Actual olden-day robots. I didn't know that they still functioned."

"Excellent," Eggman said, not paying attention to anyone else. "Robots, good to see you are up and running. Now, I need you to get to work. Bocoe, Decoe, go and put the security system online. Bokkun, go open my chambers for me."

"You just returned, and you expect us to work?" Decoe asked. "What could be so important that you have to start now?"

"No time to explain," their creator answered. "Now, as for the rest of you, Mech shall accompany me to my destination. Akumu, Yume, and Ghost shall stay here until I send for you, alright? My robots will show you where you can and cannot go later. Now, we must be off. Come, Mech."

"Yes sir," Mech replied, following the cyborg out of the room. All the robots had soon left, leaving Ghost and the twins alone.

"Never expected that this would happen," Yume said after a while. "We go off to find Mom and the others, and then poof! We're stuck with our parent's arch-enemy, a gang of wacked out robots, and some emotionless hedgehog who doesn't even have a soul! Talk about different."

"Yeah, sure is," Akumu mumbled, not really paying attention. His eyes were going from blueprint to blueprint on the wall, not really thinking about what he saw. One thing, however, caught his eye. "Hey, what's that one supposed to be?"

"Which one?" Yume asked, looking as Akumu pointed out a nameless blueprint.

"See that?" Akumu flew up to the blueprint for a better look. "I wonder what this is supposed to do. There's no name on it anywhere." At this point, Ghost looked over at the blueprint, his near-albino like eyes scanning it silently.

"Hey Ghost, do you know what it is?" Yume asked.

"I have seen it before, but I do not know where," He replied. "It seems quite familiar, but I do not remember where I have seen it. In fact, I do not remember much at all. I suppose that is a side effect of losing my soul."

"Oh," was all the twins could say. It was hard for either of them to imagine what life would be like without a soul, partially due to the fact they weren't exactly sure what a soul was (then again, who does?) Eventually, Bocoe and Decoe returned to them.

"It's been a long time since any living creature besides Dr. Eggman himself has been to one of his bases with his permission," Decoe noted.

"Really?" Yume asked. "How long ago was that?"

"If I think about it, I believe it was the day you two were born," Bocoe explained. "There was quite a fight that day, if you didn't know. One of you was almost killed."

"Which one of us?" Akumu asked. "Why would someone try to kill us?"

"I believe it was this rabbit called Ebony," Decoe remembered. "He was trying to win back your mother, and get rid of your father. In a last ditch effort, he tried to kill…I think it was you," Decoe pointed at Yume, who looked surprised. "Your father was luckily able to use Chaos Control in time, so Ebony ended up killing himself instead of you."

"We had to clean up the body afterwards," Bocoe added sourly. "And then, Shadow and Sonic destroyed that base a few weeks later, so that Dr. Eggman could not harm the children." Yume and Akumu contemplated this, while Ghost was in his own thoughts.

"Sonic…Shadow…I know those names," Ghost thought silently. "In fact…"

_"So, think you can beat me?"_

"Sonic and Shadow the Hedgehogs. They have something to do with my past." The gray hedgehog continued to think about this, even after Bocoe and Decoe began to lead him and the twins to their rooms.

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**Well, I tried to make it a bit longer. I know the next one will be. I'm sorry about the chapter shortness for this, but I will make it up with the later chappies. Anyway, see you soon!**


	14. Spawn

**Okay, I am officially screwing the update deadline. Sorry, it's just getting hard for me to keep on time. You understand, right? Okay, that's good. So, new chapter is up. Enjoy.

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While Ghost and the twins were being lead to their rooms, Eggman and Mech were going a different route. Ahead of them was Bokkun, who was unlocking the door to the room that Eggman was headed.

"So, Dr. Eggman,"Mech asked, "What are you really planning to do with us androids? Surely, you aren't helping those kids just to defeat my master." The cybernetic echidna swerved around to face the hedgehog-bot.

"Android, get this through your skull," he ordered. "I created you; therefore I am your master. As for my reasons for this fight…you catch on quick. I do have something else planned, but I will not reveal all of it. However, I am intrigued about how exactly Zynth was able to take the soul of an organic being, and use it for robotics."

"I am sorry to report that I do not know either," Mech replied, using his good arm to adjust his cloak. "Since I am under your command, however, I shall answer any questions you have to the best of my ability."

"Suck-up!" Bokkun cried, flying towards his master. "Dr. Eggman, I opened the door for you!"

"Good, now go into Cybex Capital, and run an analysis on the city. If anyone follows you, do not come back here until you have shaken them off. Understood?"

"Yes sir," The little robot answered reluctantly, hovering away. Nodding his head at Mech, the mad doctor led him to the door, which had large CAUTION and DANGER signs all over it. Before entering, Eggman grabbed a small can on the wall to his right, spraying himself with the contents. He handed it to Mech, who perceived this as a sign to do the same. After doing so, the pair walked inside.

"The creation I have contained in this room would instantly destroy you if you hadn't put that spray on," Eggman said. "The spray contains a special type of micro-shields to repel it."

"Exactly what is it repelling?" The light-blue android inquired.

"I call it Spawn. It was created a long time ago by my grandfather, Professor Gerald. Spawn is an incredible group of nanites that destroy any artificial intelligence they come into contact with, as well as most metals used in robots. I had to outfit this room with pure titanium, the only metal element I know of that is durable enough to withstand attack, but is also immune to Spawn unless combined with another element."

"I don't see it anywhere," Mech stated. Eggman chuckled.

"Of course you don't," he replied. The nanites that make up Spawn are microscopic. You can't see them unless they are grouped together. All I need to do is command them into a transportable carrier, and then unleash Spawn near Zynth. No more Zynth, and the Cybex Empire will fall."

"Madness!" Mech cried. "How many times must I tell you? We may not be organic, but we robots can think and feel too!"

"Which is a major mistake on my part," Eggman replied. "I never would have given any robots emotions if I had known this would happen. I prefer my emotionless, loyal servants, thank you very much."

"Even so, your plan will not work," Mech declared. "When you open it, Spawn will devour your cybernetic limbs, will they not?"

"Yes, but who said I was going to release Spawn? I plan to be far away from it when Spawn is unleashed."

"Then who?" The defective Sonic clone stared his creator straight in the eye, who was grinning.

"Why, Akumu and Yume, of course."

* * *

"So, you are saying that you were tricked into letting them escape?" Back in Cybex Capital, Zynth was questioning Commander Blur, whom had earlier been responsible for Akumu and Yume. Blur nodded, much afraid of his master. Zynth kept a look and tone of calmness, but it was obvious that he was angered by this.

"And you also report, along with the other prison guards from your shift, that Dr. Eggman and the hedgehog escaped?"

"Yes sir," Blur replied slowly. "We also have reason to believe that Mech has joined them, the little traitor."

"Don't be so quick to judge," Zynth smirked. "I believe that Mech may have his uses yet. As for you…you know the rules for letting a fugitive escape?"

"Termination, sir." Blur looked at the floor dejectedly.

"Yes, but I am feeling…generous today. Blur, you shall not be terminated…on one condition."

"What would that be, sir?" The Sonic clone looked up hopefully. His master began to chuckle.

"You shall be subjected to fusion, using quite an interesting technology we found. Have you ever heard legend of…the Gizoid?"

* * *

**Yes, the Gizoid. Emerel, for those of you who are clueless. How will this play out? You'll just have to wait and see.**


	15. Figuring Out Risks

**You know, I haven't been making the chapters for this story that long. I apologize for this. I just don't seem to be able to make myself do longer chapters for this story. I have no excuses! Oh well…here is Chapter 14.

* * *

**

While Eggman was speaking with Mech, the twins were in one of Eggman's "guest rooms" which was more like a slightly nicer, larger jail cell without bars in it. There was a bunk bed in the corner, a bathroom off to the side, and a small table in the center of the room. The walls were an undecorated gray, and there were various cobwebs in the corners. Currently, Yume was lying on the bottom bunk, and Akumu was on the top one.

"Quite an adventure we've gotten ourselves into, isn't this Akumu?" The bat-boy turned his head down to look at his sister.

"Yeah, I suppose," Akumu admitted, positioning an arm under his head like a pillow (the beds didn't have any).

""You suppose?" Yume asked. "Well, if this isn't an adventure, then I don't know what this is."

"A mission," Akumu suggested. "You're enjoying this whole thing, aren't you?"

"It's more exciting than anything back home," The hedge-girl replied. "I mean, come on. In the last few days, we killed a robot, got put in jail, busted out with our parent's arch-enemy, and are now hiding in an underground base. At home, the only exciting things that happen are when we go steal stuff with Mom, and that won't be happening if we don't save her."  
"Don't you realize the risk in this sis?" Akumu asked, leaning over the edge of his bunk to look his sister in the eyes. "There are lives at stake, especially our own. We're with a madman, a cowardly robot, an emotionless Chaos Magician, and we're against a huge army of cyborgs!"

"The risks are what make it exciting," Yume explained. "If there were no risks in life, it wouldn't be very fun, now would it? Everything would be dull and boring without a chance that something out of the ordinary able to happen. That's why people gamble, or play sports. It's for the excitement and testing of skills, even though you can lose something. That's one of the reasons we steal stuff, or why Mr. Sonic fought Eggman. It's for the risk, and excitement of getting past it."

"Nice lecture," Akumu muttered. "I will admit, you have a point. So then, do you know what we do now?"

"Planning is usually your job, remember?" Yume reminded him. "Besides, I'm sure Eggman will come up with something. He is supposed to be an evil genius, after all."

"Whatever," Akumu said, lying back down. "My watch says it's three in the morning. I'm going to sleep."

"Three a.m. already?" Yume asked. "That was fast. 'Kay then, good night Akumu."

"Night Yume." With that, the twins eventually drifted off to sleep.

* * *

In a similar room in Cybex Capital, a certain white bat woke up. The room was quite dark, only illuminated by a dimmed light in the ceiling.

"Where am I?" thought the bat. This was none other that Rouge the Bat, who quickly remembered what was going on. "I was captured, and taken somewhere by…Shadow? It sure didn't seem like him. I mean, the hedgehog that kidnapped me looked exactly like him, but it couldn't have been him. How long have I been here?"

With her eyes adjusting to the light, Rouge looked around at the other cells nearby. She could make out the figures of people she knew nearby, all so still. Knuckles and Blaze. Cream and Tails. Sonic, Amy, and even their daughter were present, all of them not moving. Were they dead? Rouge's sensitive ears picked up the sound of breathing. They were asleep.

"How did we all end up here?" Rouge asked in her head, the question answering itself. _"Somebody wants us for something."_ It was obvious, but "why" was still uncertain. Rouge also wondered why everyone was sleeping. Surely some of them would be awake, right?

"I wonder if this means Shadow is here." The thought was sudden, but it was possible. Maybe Shadow was thrown into a cell like this when he went after Eggman, and he couldn't get out. Whoever kidnapped them had taken Shadow first, and only now had decided to finish the job. Suddenly, Rouge heard footsteps coming toward her.

"Ay, it seems as if this one woke up," a voice said. A figure, most likely male in the dark came into view, features shrouded by the lack of light. Another joined him, female this time.

"I'll take care of it," The woman figure said, sliding open the door. Before Rouge could escape, she felt something cold on her arm.

Then there was nothing at all.

* * *

**Blah. Unexciting chapter. Blah. Oh well, it works, I suppose. No real comment, otherwise. Yay. See you later.**


	16. Who Am I?

**Wow, I forgot to update this story too! I'm really sorry people, I've been busy. I recently got a deviantART account (Ciel-Hedgehog over there), and I've been busy trying to make some character pics. I'll try to do some of the characters from this soon (like the twins, Eggman echidna, maybe Ghost and Mech, etc), but I cannot guarantee anything.

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**

The underground base was completely quiet. It was five a.m., and the sun outside had not yet risen. A pin dropped on the cold metal floors could easily be noticed at the current level of volume, which didn't really concern anyone. Eggman was coming up with his scheme for breaking into Cybex Capital (with Mech's reluctant help), the other robots were off doing the doctor's errands, and the other three hedgehogs were in their rooms.

In the room Akumu and Yume shared, the twins were both peacefully asleep. They had been away from home less than a week, and they were already running from the law. That, added to the fact that there had not been many opportunities to rest, left them quite tired.

The door to their chamber silently opened. A small black figure hovered over to the bunkbed the twins were sleeping in, grinning. Hovering a few feet away, the figure took a deep breath, and…

"WAKE UP!" Yelled Bokkun, who was the black figure himself. The twins bolted right up at the sudden outburst, with Yume accidentally hitting her head on the bottom of the top bunk.

"What was that for?" Yume asked, glaring at the minute robot. Bokkun floated back away a little at the sight of the death-stare.

"Ermm, Eggman wanted you two to see him about the plans," Bokkun explained, "and I figured it would be too much of a hassle to try waking you up nicely."

"You just wanted to scream," Yume grumbled as she tugged the bed covers. "Can't the old man wait an hour or two?"

"He says its really important!" The delivery-bot cried. "If you don't go right now, he is going to be steamed! And guess who he's going to take it out on? Either you or me! So I say you get over there right now, or we'll both have it!"

"Cool it pipsqueak, we're going," Akumu assured him, using his wings to fly off the bed to the floor. "Yume is just a grump in the morning."

"I am not a grump," Yume retorted, bopping her brother on the shoulder as she got up as well. "I just don't like being disturbed so early in the morning, that's all." The white hedgehog motioned towards the door. "Alright Boke, show us the way."

* * *

"It's about time you arrived," Eggman pointed out as the twins entered his lab. Similar to the ones in his previous bases, this room was chocked full of robots, mechanical parts, and even more blueprints. Akumu stared in awe at the collection, but Yume just yawned.

"Can we get this over with?" Yume asked impatiently. "I'd like to get the talking over with now, so we can get to the actual mission."

"You'll just have to wait for me to explain it to you," The cyborg replied back. "We'll just have to wait a minute for…oh Ghost, you've arrived. Excellent, now we can begin." Ghost had just entered the laboratory, his blank face as emotionless as ever. As far as either of the twins could tell, the gray hedgehog was paying more attention to the blueprints than Eggman.

"So then, now that everyone is present," Eggman noted, "I shall explain what our plan is…"

* * *

Eggman continued to explain his "brilliant plan" in great detail, making sure the twins understood every single word. Ghost, however, was not paying attention whatsoever. It wasn't too difficult of a concept, Eggman was just over exaggerating it and it's importance. Ghost, however, was looking at the robots and blueprints that cluttered the lab.

As he looked around, one particular machine caught his eye. The body of it was like a round seat, with laser guns positioned on the side. Attached below the weapons was a pair of bipedal legs, and a miniature missile launcher was positioned on the back. It seemed familiar somehow, but he didn't know why.

An image of the machine came into his head, except it was somewhere else. _A giant machine-like place, though not the base. A large, rotund human with goggles and a bushy mustache rode the vehicle, the man sporting a bright red and black suit. He was talking to someone…the image was unclear…_

_Eggman, in the Egg Walker,_ spoke a voice in his head, though he did not know how he knew. The image would explain the nickname, but Ghost didn't remember seeing Eggman as a human before. The gray furry tried to cal up the image again, but it was already out of his grasp.

"I wonder who the doctor was talking to," Ghost thought, "and what that place was. Why can I not remember anything?" The hedgehog was suddenly aware he had just been asked a question. "Pardon?"

"I asked you if you were at all proficient with weapons," Eggman asked. "We are going to need them for our invasion of Cybex. You can't rely on Chaos Magic alone, now can you?"

"I believe I can probably use a weapon for the purposes of the invasion," was Ghost's reply.

"Good then, because we are going to need all the firepower we can get." Eggman resumed his talking, while another image came into Ghost's head. _A swarm of aliens, and human men in suits. Most of them were armed, and the sky above was blood red. Surrounded by a ruined city, and there was only one thing to do…fight._

As quickly as the image before, this one faded back into Ghost's memories before he could understand it's meaning. Not sure if he wanted any more visions, Ghost proceeded to listen to the rest of Eggman's speech.

* * *

**Okay now, there were some hints to Ghost's identity if you were paying attention (which I hope you were). One person has already figured it out, and another is pretty close, as far as I know (Toni and Play14). If anyone else figures out who it is, don't say it in a review. I don't want it to be fully revealed until later, alright? Thank you, have a nice week! I'll try to update soon!**


	17. What Mech Was Up To

**No, I haven't updated as quickly as I hoped. I apologize. I've been busy with other things. I did, however, finish _Triple Shadows: Remix,_ and I did a picture of Eggman's cyber-echidna form on deviantART for those who can't imagine it. I also thought some more about this story's story line. I must say, it's shaping up to be much more than I expected. I hope your patience can stand waiting for it…

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**

As Eggman spoke of his plan to the hedgehogs, Mech wandered around the base. He already knew the scheme, especially since he had assisted the doctor in planning the deed. Mech looked around the lonely hall he was in, concluding no one was around.

"Now would be the perfect time to report back to base," Mech muttered to himself. He had no comm.-link in his possession, but that was perfectly fine. You see, one of the many features installed in the androids of Cybex Capital was a special chip in their circuitry which allowed wireless contact. It was like having a radioized cell phone installed in your head, except with near-limitless range. All Mech needed to do was switch it on, and "dial" his master's robot code number to communicate with him.

"Ah, Mech," greeted Zynth, who instantly recognized the calling android. "I am glad to hear you reporting back. I was almost to the point of worry."

"I am honored that you care for me so, sir," Mech replied. "I have been following the fugitives. They are planning to invade the capital, and destroy us with metal-devouring nanites called Spawn."

"Not to worry, I already figured that he would resort to that," Zynth chuckled. "It's the most logical action for him to execute. Of course, I do have a counter-plan."

"What would that be, master?" Mech asked. "Do you plan to negate Spawn?"

"Oh, much more than that," Zynth replied with another chuckle, deep enough to sound like the hedgehog he was based off of. "However, I cannot tell you my plan yet. It must remain secret, just in case. I order you to wait until further instructions, affirmative?"

"Yes sir," Mech replied quietly, switching off the conversation. Oh, how cunning Master Zynth was, already having a counter plan! Oddly, Mech felt some unease at the whole secrecy of the plan. What could be so great as not to tell his most loyal servent?

"Ah, there you are Mech," Eggman greeted. "I've been looking everywhere for you. I just finished briefing the kids, and we're getting ready to leave soon." Mech followed the doctor, assuming that the cyborg had not heard any of the conversation (one of the few drawbacks of Mech's com-chip was the fact that he had to speak out loud). All he had to do was hope…and wait.

* * *

The twins were at the center room, looking impatient to leave. Ghost was beside them, emotionless as always. Bocoe, Decoe, and Bokkun were also present, the first two being patient as the third flew around in agitated circles.

"So, how are we going to the capital?" Yume asked. Akumu groaned.

"He only said it about a million times sis," He replied. "We are going there in his Egg Carrier Mach III, and dropping down from there. Assuming, of course, that we aren't spotted first."

"Nervous brother?" Yume chided, "'Cause I'm not! I can't wait to get out of here and kick some androids into the dirt. Then we can get 'em back for kidnapping everybody, especially Mom. Who knows, maybe we'll even find Dad."

"Why are you so keen on that?" The bat boy wondered aloud. "Ever since we got to Cybex Capital, it's been Dad this, and Dad that. I miss him too, but don't get your hopes up sis. He's probably long gone by now."

"Don't say that!" Yume growled. "I know we're going to find him. I saw him, remember? We're going to save Mom, find Dad, and then we'll all be together again. You want that, don't you?

"Of course I do," Akumu exclaimed. "I'm just saying that he may not even be here. You may have imagined seeing Dad, because you were in Chaos Control, and you were thinking about him."

"Enough you two," Ghost cut in, his eerie calmness instantly grabbing the twin's attention. "There is no need for fighting."

"I suppose he has a point," Yume admitted. "I just hope we are leaving soon."

"As a matter of fact, we are," declared Eggman, who just entered the room. "Come now, we don't have much time to waste!" The twins nodded, and then everyone followed him to the Egg Carrier Mach III.

* * *

Elsewhere, Zynth chuckled to himself.

"Fools," Zynth muttered. "I have them all figured out. The pieces are all in play, and I can already forsee my victory." A bat cyborg entered the room, bowing before speaking.

"Master Zynth, the infusion with Commander Blur and the Gizoid is complete."

"Excellent," The black android said, ushering the messenger away. "And now, it's time we see what these biotic life forms are really made of."

* * *

**Mass conflict time! Next chapter, the invasion of the capital begins. Can our heroes (and not-so-much heroes) stand the challenge? We'll just have to wait and see!**


	18. Shot Out of the Sky

**I finally got Chapter 17 done! Oh joy. It seems that High School is a bit more demanding as I imagined it to be (not hard, just time consuming), so I hope you can forgive me for the lateness of this chapter. Also, it may be a while before I update after this, for I have some family business to attend to in California. But, at least I got this one up, right?

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**

The Egg Carrier Mach III was quite similar to the battleships Dr. Eggman had used before in the Egg Fleets, except this ship was smaller. The ECM III (as he nicknamed it) was originally designed for sneak attacking, so it would take longer for enemies to notice it. The ship was only a bit larger than a jet, but was also packed with weaponry. Missile launchers and mini-turrets littered the outside, but all carved into a perfectly aerodynamic feature. That, combined with the black paint, made the ECM III perfect for midnight assaults.

"Beauty, isn't it?" Eggman asked his crew. "I designed it before you twins were born, but all I had left was the blueprints after your father ransacked my base. I say I've done a fairly decent job."

"Sweet," Akumu whistled. "What Mr. Prower wouldn't give to get his hands on this."

"It is a fair attempt," Mech admitted, "but I'm sure Master Zynth could design better."

"Suck up," Yume muttered to her brother. "I swear, if Mech wasn't helping us, I would kick him so hard. In fact, I might just do it."

"Save it for the Capital," Akumu advised. "We're going to need all our strength against those robots." Yume rolled her eyes.

"You take all the fun out of it," She muttered. Yume turned to go see what else was on the ship. There wasn't much to see. There was the cockpit (where Eggman was driving), the rider's area (her present location) and an engine room (where Mech was hanging out). Akumu followed Yume, while Ghost was staring blankly out the window. In his hands was a machine gun, and next to the gray hedgehog lay a bazooka. A dagger was also strapped to his arm, and a holster for the bazooka was on his back.

"For the invasion," was all Ghost said when the twins asked about the weaponry. It was obvious that he planned to do some fighting. Yume walked past him (with Akumu following behind) when the battleship began to shake violently.

"What's going on?" Yume screeched, grabbing the wall tightly. Akumu nodded over at the entrance to the cockpit, and the two began to make their way there. Inside, Dr. Eggman was in a fury.

"It isn't my fault!" He shouted. "I was driving perfectly fine! Something's wrong with the wings." Another shake, and the Egg Carrier began to dive. Mech then entered the cockpit.

"I…I am sorry to report th…that our wings are nearly de-de…destroyed," Mech explained frantically, causing him to stutter. 'It seems th…that Master Zynth has deployed…ed some ant…nt…anti-aircraft devices in our absence." This was in fact true, for it was all part of Zynth's secret plan.

"Well then, what do we do now?" Akumu asked, one arm around his sister and the other holding the door.

"I think we'll have to jump!" was Eggman's reply.

"Are you nuts?" Yume yelled. "We'll get attacked too! And if we don't die from that, we'll crash into the ground!"

"Hey, at least it's better than crashing with the ship," The madman pointed out. He then punched out the cockpit window, climbing out onto the nose of the plane. The twins then saw him jump, and he was gone. Mech hesitantly climbed out, his cloak flapping in the wind as he slid off the plane. Then, as if out of nowhere, Ghost entered the room, and was now jumping himself. Shrugging, Akumu began to climb out as well, pulling Yume with him.

"I think I can break our fall if I can time Chaos Control right," the bat said reassuringly. "We aren't going to die from this."

"We better not," the hedge-girl replied, holding tightly to her brother. Down below was Zynth's fortress, dark metal pointing towards the sky. There was an anit-aircraft device in view, launching a homing missile. Knowing it was either explode or risk a chance, the twins jumped off the ship, watching as the Egg Carrier Mach III was blown to smithereens.

"I never thought I'd see an explosion like that," Yume muttered, closing her eyes as she gripped her brother tighter. She could feel them falling faster, faster, felling as if they were falling apart. And then, the ground loomed towards them. It was only a few feet away, and then-

"Chaos Control," Akumu cried, quickly enveloping them in a light. They were safely dropped onto the ground, no damage done to either.

"I can't believe it worked," Yume admitted, relieved. Then, remembering where they were, she turned around. Standing behind them were a bewildered group of guard androids.

"Don't just stand there," one piped up. "Get them!" The guards began to charge, and Yume grabbed Akumu's hand, this time making a run for it as she kicked her airshoes into high gear. The race was on.

* * *

**Now the real fun begins! Tell me what you think people, and I'll try to get this up as soon as I can manage. See you next week!**


	19. Plans Set Into Motion

**Chapter 18. I never thought this story would end up this long. I think it's probably going to be one of my longest. Wow. It's sad, though, because not as many people read this. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm complaining. I'm not meaning to, alright? I'll just shut up now, so here's your chapter.

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**

The Cybex fortress seemed even bigger than it had the first time the twins had entered it. The dark, mechanical walls seemed to loom over them as the sound of running androids echoed in the halls behind them. The lower floors were in chaos after the sudden arrival of the crew. Screams could be heard, as well as gunfire in the distance.

"I hope this is exciting enough for you," Akumu said to Yume, holding tightly as she ran them through the corridors. "I'd rather be on a heist right now. At least those stay quiet for a while."

"Whine all you like bro, but we're on a mission," Yume explained. This whole thing was so appealing to her. Excitement, action, danger at every turn! How many people at home could boast about this? She couldn't wait to see the look on her mom's face when she found out about what they went through to save her.

"I see you two are making progress." The two siblings turned their heads to see Eggman skating alongside them (for he had skates built into his metal leg and his shoe). The echidna had his arm-cannon charged, and was blasting at any androids that came near. It didn't destroy them, but it did keep them at bay.

"So, we're inside now," Akumu noted. "What's next? Do we just storm in and attack Zynth?"

"Heavens, no!" Eggman laughed. "I have the weapon for you two right here." He pulled out a small container that looked empty, except for a light gray haze inside. The side of it read Spawn.

"This is Spawn," the cyborg explained. "It's a creation made of nanites, that will destroy any machine it comes into contact with. You need to unleash this, but only when you get to Zynth, alright?"

"Piece of cake," Yume replied, grabbing the container of Spawn. "He'll be done with in no time, then. Come on Akumu!" Akumu gripped his sister tighter as she ran faster through the fortress. Meanwhile, Eggman slowed to a halt, despite the fact there were robots behind them.

"Excellent," he muttered. "And now, I can finally finish my plan." The androids surrounded him, aiming some deadly looking weapons at him. The cyborg put his hands in the air. "I surrender," was all he said. A few minutes later, he was being escorted to see Master Zynth, which was exactly what he wanted.

_"And nobody suspects a thing."

* * *

_

On a higher floor, gunshots rang left and right, as metal bodies hit the floor. In the middle of the crossfire was Ghost, firing off his machine gun with deadly accuracy. In his other hand was his dagger, which delivered a powerful slash at anyone who got too close. The blank hedgehog seemed untouchable, and the androids seemed to be noticing this.

"We can't hold him off much longer!" A cat screeched. "Squadrons Alpha and Gamma, fall back to warn Master Zynth. Squadrons Beta and Delta, stay here and hold him off." This cat was soon pummeled with bullets, and was permanently deactivated a few seconds afterward. Soon, all squadrons began to back away from the obviously insane gray hedgehog in the center. How else could someone be able to kill without emotion, unless they were mad?

Suddenly, all noise was gone, except for the sound of a slow clap. Zynth walked into the area, as all robots stepped aside. Ghost held his gun out, in case something happened.

"Why Ghost, there is no need to be so scared of me," Zynth said, still clapping. "I knew you were a fighter, but being able to invoke fear in my army is astounding for an organic lifeform. Of course, you don't care about that, do you?" Ghost shook his head, for he was indeed feeling nothing over it. "And you don't care about anything that happens here, do you?"

"I do not," Ghost agreed. "All I request is that my soul is brought back to it's rightful owner: myself."

"So I see you do have a tiny bit of emotion," The black android commented, "or else you wouldn't care about your soul. Tell me Ghost, have you figured out your identity yet?" Ghost shook his head. Zynth smiled. "You are the Ultimate Weapon, Ghost. You were once something more, but lack of a soul stripped you of it. But you were designed to be the Ultimate Weapon, and that is the only use you have now. Those organic beings, they fear you. They loathe you, and cringe at your power. We androids, on the other hand, embrace it. So, what do you choose?"

_"What do I choose?"_ kept echoing in Ghost's head, for he was unsure. Then, he thought. As he thought, another voice came into his head.

_"Please, for all the people of the planet, you must help them. Do it for me!"_ Blank red eyes snapped open.

"I assist the true beings," he said, "For that is what I pledged to do. I do not know why, but that is my duty. I am not Ghost, Zynth, and you know that." The master laughed at this, sounding psychotic.

"The true beings?" he asked mockingly. "The true beings? My my, even removing your soul can't change you, Ghost. Or, should I say…Shadow the Hedgehog."

* * *

**HAHAHA!!! Yes, Ghost is really Shadow! I suppose a lot of you would never have guessed that, would you? So then, now that we have that new piece of information, how will it affect our heroes? We'll see next time, on _Crimson Stripes_!**


	20. Zynth's Plan Falls Apart

**…No comment. Seriously, no comment. Here is Chapter 19. Read. Joy. Hooray.

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**

Yume was running at full speed up the stairs, the container of Spawn in her grip. Behind her, Akumu was flying (because why walk up the stairs when you can fly?) while keeping an eye out for enemy robots. None were in sight, they seemed preoccupied with something on a different floor. What it was, the twins did not know, but they took it as a lucky break. The stairs almost seemed to go on infinitely when the twins came to the last floor the stair reached.

"'Bout time we made it," Yume commented. "I bet that Zynth's office is somewhere up here, and that is where we'll find him."

"You're thinking for once?" Akumu asked. "I guess this is the only time you will." Yume was about to smack her sibling for that, when a certain light-blue android caught her eye.

"Mech?" Both twins turned toward the hedge-bot, who seemed to be caught up in worry. If he had been any worse, he would probably be in full freak-out mode. Yume handed Spawn to Akumu, and then walked up the the defective clone.

"Aggh!" he cried in surprise. "Yume and Akumu! You actually made it? Oh this is bad, very bad…"

"Bad? I thought we were on the same side for now," The white hedge-girl pointed out. "What the hell are you talking about then?"

"Same side?" Mech asked. "I guess I fooled you after all, didn't I? I was keeping in touch with Master Zynth the whole time I was with you. But now…his whole plan is going wrong, and…"

"You what?!?" Yume screeched in outrage. "You rotten little snake! Why didn't I see it before? I should have gotten rid of you, instead of being nice!" The enraged girl sent a kick to the traitor's vulnerable side, knocking him into a wall.

"I should have seen it too," Akumu muttered. "Once a suck-up, always a suck-up."

"But you don't understand!" Mech retorted, wincing in pain. "I did it out of loyalty to my Master! But the whole plan is falling apart. You see, us androids are starting to malfunction!"

"Well, that just makes our job easier," Yume huffed. "Do you want us to pity you?"

"Hold on a minute sis," Akumu said. "There might be something important about this. The androids are guarding the adults, and malfunction doesn't always mean that they are easier to defeat."

"Exactly!" Mech agreed. "You see, Master Zynth has done something to one of our commanders while I was away. I am unsure of what it was, but it is somehow messing with the systems of certain androids. It only started recently, so I'm not sure if Master knows yet."

"What exactly does it do?" Both twins asked simultaneously. The android in front of them got down to the floor, and looked them both in the eye.

"They infected robots have lost all sense of control, and are destroying everything from the inside out. If they succeed, we're all goners."

"Not good," Akumu said. "Still, I wonder what would cause them to act like that?" The small group was about to find out soon enough.

* * *

_"…Or should I say…Shadow the Hedgehog." _The gray hedgehog stared at Zynth, whom was smirking at him. So Shadow was his real name. There had to be something special about it…but the name sadly didn't ring any bells. Ghost/Shadow kept his gun pointed at Zynth, for who knew what tricks the android had up his sleeve.

Suddenly, another Shadow Android appeared, a few bullet holes littering his body. The android had the mark of a commander on his chest, and saluted before speaking.

"Master Zynth, Commander Shade reporting," The robot said. "Sources have reported sightings of Eggman and the twins. Eggman has been captured, the twins status is unknown."

"Is that all?" Zynth asked, looking slightly vexed. "I believe you could have told me that later."

"…There is also a problem with some of our forces," Shade added slowly, dropping the formality, "as well as Commander Blur." Ghost/Shadow thought for a moment before recognizing the emotion on the android's face as fear.

"A problem with Blur?" Zynth asked. Shade nodded.

"He is losing control of himself sir. Blur is attacking any androids that resemble Sonic, Miles, Knuckles, Amy Rose, Shadow, Rouge, or Cream. He keeps referring to himself as the Gizoid, or something of the sort. All forces nearby are starting to malfunction, and go on an attacking frenzy." All nearby robots looked afraid, and even Zynth looked a little uneased. More than anything, though, Zynth looked enraged.

"Gizoid? Impossible!" He claimed. "The fusion operation went perfectly. There were no bugs in the system, none! How could the Gizoid system override Blur's own?" Ghost/Shadow just stared. Another image was coming into his head.

* * *

_It was a figure of a hi-tech base, not unlike the one Ghost had been in before. There was a ginat computer, and in front of it were three figures: a robot, a white bat, and a black hedgehog with crimson stripes…Shadow the Hedgehog. Shadow held out the purple chaos emerald, the same one Yume and Akumu currently possessed._

_"Emerl! Take it! This is the last Chaos Emerald!" Shadow ordered, as the robot absorbed the gem. The figure seemed to change, not in physical appearance, but it seemed more…commanding. Powerful. The figure almost seemed to glow._

_"…Show me your power," it recited in a monotonous voice, "or a shall not obey. I represent all things,and shall become Gizoid, the conquerer of all."_

_"Well! Now that's a big difference!" The white bat, remarked. The name 'Rouge' came to mind at this figure, but Ghost/Shadow continued to watch. The black hedgehog (which he supposed was Shadow, and therefore himself)stood in front of the Gizoid, staring it in the eye as he spoke out with a clear, commanding tone,_

_"Gizoid, ancient weapon of legend, I as your new master, command you…"_

The memory suddenly shut off, but it still meant something: Ghost indeed was Shadow, and this Gizoid…he knew it. It had a soul, like he once did, even though it was a robot…but something had happened to it. What could that be?

* * *

**So yes, Blur is going to be a problem, and Ghost/Shadow is finally starting to get it. But what about Akumu and Yume? We'll see!**

**Oh, and about Emerl…for those of you who don't know, Emerl is an ancient robot from Sonic Battle called Gizoid, a machine that could copy any technique imaginable, and use it. The scene in italics above was from Sonic Battle, not the version in Sonic X (which I don't think was as good, but that's just my opinion). Anyway, this is sure to be a problem, so stay tuned!**


	21. Unsure Identities

**Sorry the updates have been so slow. I had writer's block (again), and my mind has been occupied with stuff (including a possible idea for my next big chapter fic, stay tuned). Anyway, Chapter 20 is up.

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**

Back with the twins, Yume had convinced (more like threatened) Mech into leading them to Zynth's main office. Mech didn't really want to, but he ended up agreeing all the same. So the threesome continued through the vast maze of the fortress.

Everywhere they looked, however, there were bodies of androids scattered across the floors. Some looked like they had been shot, others smashed, and some looked completely fine. It was at first believed to have been Ghost, but then Akumu reminded them that Ghost may have had a gun, but nothing to smash with, or any other sort of thing (for there weren't many slash marks, and no traces of bazooka anywhere).

"Then what do you think it is, Mr. Genius?" Yume asked sarcastically.

"I don't think it was the robots," Akumu muttered to himself, "because they don't have a big variety of weapons. Same goes for Eggman, so…I don't know who could have done it."

"I do." Mech and the twins turned around. Behind them was a dark blue hedgehog, with bright green eyes. He was smirking at them, just like a certain someone…

"Mr. Sonic?" The twins asked, startled.

"Possibly," The azure hero replied. "So, where are you three headed?" He looked like Sonic, and he sounded like Sonic, but something seemed…off. Definitely off.

"Before we tell you, let me ask you this," Yume said, a touch of spite in her voice. "Where are all the other adults? You couldn't be the only one who escaped."

"Who says I escaped from something? I think that's what you should be doing." Oddly enough, the hedgehog's glove ripped as his hand turned into a cannon, and he fired. Yume ducked at the last minute, and then stared at him.

"Well, I can tell you aren't Sonic," The she-hog replied, tossing her brother the Spawn container. "So then, who are you?"

"I believe we've met before," The blue one said, still grinning. "You sure left a mark with that kick of yours."

"I know who you are," Mech exclaimed, looking him in the eye. "You're Commander Blur! So you are the one that's causing everyone to malfunction!"

"Oh, am I?" Blur asked innocently. "That's quite a claim, for such a weakling. Whose side are you on, anyway? You can't seem to decide."

"I'm on Master Zynth's side, of course!" The assistant cried. "How dare you question my loyalties?"

"Then why, may I ask, are you assisting those two? They are organic creatures, for crying out loud!" Mech and Blur both glared at each other. Yume realized that they looked oddly similar, and realized that, since Blur was a Sonic clone, that could only mean Mech was as well. The only reason she didn't realize earlier was probably the fact that he wore that cloak to hide his missing arm. Otherwise, he seemed like Sonic with fur dye and yellow contacts.

"Yume," Akumu whispered to his sister, "let's leave now, while they're distracted. I bet we could find the right room from here." Yume knew her brother was right, but oddly, it didn't feel right to her. Even though Mech was a suck-up, and annoyed her to heck, he still had helped them, hadn't he? Yume was unsure of what to do, for she had never been in a situation like this before.

"Come on Yume," Her bat-boy brother growled, grabbing her by the arm. "We should get going. Now." She nodded, and began to walk away.

"Oh, you really think you can leave?" Blur stared at them, and then muttered two words; "Chaos Burst"

* * *

Meanwhile, Zynth was busy barking orders at his troops. Nearby, he was watched by Ghost.

"Not Ghost," the gray hedgehog thought. "My name is Shadow. Sha-dow. The Hedgehog. Ultimate Lifeform. Me." It was probably quite odd, suddenly finding out who you were, but not really feeling anything about it. Shadow decided that would have to change, and to do that, he would have to find his soul. When Zynth's attention was elsewhere, Shadow ran off, weapons in hand. Where he was running, he did not know, but he could feel something. There was something nearby…something important.

There it was, up ahead. The corridor was a dead end, though Shadow knew there was a room on the other side. He didn't know how, he just knew. There was probably another corridor that lead to it elsewhere, but Shadow decided not to waste time getting to it. Instead, he pulled out the bazooka, and aimed for the wall.

KABOOM!!! In a matter of seconds, there was nothing left of the dead end, and Shadow stepped over the debris into the room. Surprisingly, someone was in there already, a cybernetic echidna sitting at a nearby desk, grinning.

"So, you finally show up," Eggman noted. "Just as planned."

"You knew of this," Shadow stated. The mad scientist nodded, still grinning.

"All part of my plan," He agreed, "to finally reclaim the Robotic Empire."

* * *

**So, the plot thickens! At least, I think it thickens. Anyway, I'll try to update earlier next time. If I don't update in a week, then PLEASE remind me. I am getting really bad about it. Anyway, I shall see you (hopefully) in a week. Enjoy!**

** Note: The technique "Chaos Burst" as used by Blur earlier is a technique the Gizoid copied from Shadow in Sonic Battle. It is like a smaller, more colorful Chaos Blast. Comparitive power levels are not known.**


	22. Deathmatch, Part 1

**Hey, I updated before a week! Yay! I know I won't have much time next week to update, and I was thinking about this chapter, so I decided to write it. Lucky you, people! All the moves that Blur/Gizoid uses are actual moves from Sonic Battle, by the way. Oh, and Gizoid belongs to Sega (I think I forgot to mention that).**

**Oh, and thanks to Mystery001…I hope this chapter is longer and action-packed enough for you. X3

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**

The Chaos Burst was unexpected, and the twins had barely any time to get out of the way. The energy blast hit them head-on, knocking them to the ground. Thankfully, due to the fact that they were used to Chaos Magic, the blast did not hurt them as much as it would a regular person.

Yume slowly got up, looking around. The blast had been large, and had even hit part of the ceiling, which had caused part of it to crash to the floor. Nearby was Akumu, looking dazed, and Blur was standing in front of them, unharmed.

"Not bad," he muttered. The voice did not sound like it did a few minutes ago, but more robotic. Yume was unable to dwell on this, for Blur then morphed his arm into a hammer, and began swinging it violently. The white hedgehog rolled out of the way, the hammer missing her by inches. Blur swung again, and then quickly turned his hand into a liquid-like substance, bringing it down on her head.

"Damn it!" She swore, turning to Akumu. "Akumu, where's the Spawn container?" The black bat frantically looked around, for he had accidentally let go of it. To his relief, he saw it safely on the floor a few feet away. However, his relief faded to horror as he realized that the Spawn container was empty. The weapon that could supposedly destroy all the robots had wasted away, not being close enough to a robot to do anything. Akumu swore silently, when Yume and Blur both saw the container.

"So, I suppose your secret weapon wasn't so reliable, now was it?" The blue android said mockingly. Yume just stared at it, unable to believe that their plan was now in ruins.

_"Can't mourn over it now,"_ she thought to herself. _"Guess we'll just have to find a way without it."_ Yume then looked up at Blur, who still thought he was winning, and kicked his right side. The blow sounded with a loud thwack, which got Blur's attention.

"Fool," he muttered, "You can't kill me with that. Let me show you a real attack…" Suddenly, a large piece of debris hit the commander in the head. He turned to see Mech, who had been buried under the rubble, ready to throw another piece with his good arm.

"You can't do this," Mech exclaimed. "Sure, Master Zynth said we would eventually take over the organic lifeform's territory, but he never said anything about killing, did he? You…you're taking this too far!" Blur laughed at this, morphing his arm into a cannon. The twins watched, when Yume got an idea.

"Akumu, the Chaos Emerald!" she whispered excitedly to him. "Hand it to me, so I can do some damage to him!"

"But Yume, you haven't learned to control it yet!" Akumu retorted. Nevertheless, Yume grabbed the violet emerald away from him, and held it out in front of her.

"Chaos…Spear!" The hedge-girl yelled loudly, as a purple energy bolt his Blur in the back. The android quickly whipped around, grinning.

"That's a new one," he said. "Let's see how I can do it…Chaos Spear!" Another bolt of Chaos Energy, this time from Blur, emerged, striking the twins.

"He can copy our attacks?" Akumu cried in bewilderment, since neither of the twins knew of the Gizoid's ability, and didn't even fully realize it was fused to Blur. They had heard of Gizoid, sure, but their parents (and all the other adults, for that matter) had always ended the story with its destruction, being sealed inside an emerald shard. So it was no wonder it was a surprise to them.

"You bet I can," Blur replied. "Want to see what else I can do?" Once again, Blur was about to attack, when the black and red form of Zynth thrust at him from behind.

"Causing some trouble, are you Blur?" Zynth asked. "I think it's my turn to attempt calming you down." The android leader muttered something, and then a orb of Chaos Energy floated in his hands.

"Impossible," Akumu muttered to his sister. "I don't remember ever hearing of a robot with the ability to use Chaos Magic, especially not without a Chaos Emerald."

"I think barely anyone can use Chaos Magic without an emerald," Yume replied. "The only person I ever heard of learning how was…" Both twins stared at each other for a minute, before saying at the same time, "Dad."

* * *

"Reclaim the Robotic Empire." Shadow repeated Dr. Eggman's words exactly, staring him in the eye. "That is your whole purpose for being here?"

"Of course!" The cyborg replied. "I can hardly believe you all believed I would help you! Why else would I force the twins into promising their parents would not stop me with whatever I do?"

"You promised you wouldn't," Shadow pointed out, "So you were lying."

"In case you forgot, liar is my middle name," Eggman then laughed, as if he had just heard a joke. "Oh right, you did forget, my bad. I suppose the Ultimate Lifeform can never keep his memories straight for long, now can he?"

"Shut up." Shadow pulled out his machine gun, aiming it at the mad doctor's head. "Move, and I will shoot. Explain what you were planning to do."

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Eggman asked, staring at the gun. "I trick the androids into fighting with you and the twins, which kills you three and a load of robots. In the chaos, I kill Zynth, and take over as leader. The robots obey me, and I lead them into world conquest. Simple, no?"

"There's more." The cyborg smirked at the comment.

"Oh yes Shadow, there is more. I also came here to find my roboticizer. You might remember it? I could turn myself into pure flesh-and-blood, as well as any robots I desire, and I can also roboticize any furries like you. In fact, since I have Sonic and all his little friends in the dungeon, I was thinking of starting with them."

"Do you know where this item is?" The blank hedgehog asked. Eggman shook his head.

"If I did, Shadow, you would not be standing here, now would you? I could have you under my control, and there would be nothing you could do to stop me!" Shadow stared at him a moment, as various memories began flowing through his head of the madman, some as a human, and some as the cyborg he was now. Shadow thought of these for a moment, and then pulled the trigger. The machine gun fired bullets into the mad doctor's head (the robotic part, unfortunately), which was definitely not a good feeling. Shadow then turned, and ran off.

_"I sense something,"_ he thought. _Something familiar. Something like…my soul._ Shadow pricked up his ears, and ran towards the source. Behind him, Eggman watched him go, putting a hand on his shot-up head.

"Fool," Eggman muttered, turning around as he said so. "I don't suppose he will be back for a while. Now, if only I could find that roboticizer…" The doctor went back into the office, the sound of footsteps slowly dying away.

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**There, how's that? Better? I hope so. I might not update next week, so if I don't, I'd like to say…Happy Thanksgiving! (and if you don't celebrate it…uhmm…Happy Whatever Day!) See you all later.**


	23. Soul of a Shadow

**Well, now that Thanksgiving's over, I have time to write again. I might have said this before (I don't remember), but I think there's only a few more chapters left before the end of this story. I hope you all have enjoyed the story so far. Well, here's Chapter 22.

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**

Blur and Zynth were now locked in combat, the two of them firing Chaos Energy in every direction. Blur seemed to be a nearly impossible foe, for he copied every ability Zynth fired at him. However, Zynth was built to withstand extremely powerful attacks, and possessed unusually strong attacks for a robot, so the two seemed pretty evenly matched. Nevertheless, as the fight raged on, Zynth slowly seemed to weaken.

"Akumu, what do we do?" Yume asked. "We can't just sit here and watch, can we?" The hedge-girl hated missing out on the action, and her brother knew it.

"Don't get any ideas Yume," He replied. "I don't know if we can help at all right now. Tell you the truth, I don't know what we can do."

"Running would work." The twins turned to see that Mech had crept over to them, holding his robe tightly over his missing side. "It may not sound good, but if we don't we risk being killed."

"No way!" Yume retorted. "I am not just going to run away like a coward with my tail between my legs! There has to be something else!" She pulled out the Chaos Emerald, and was about to use it when Akumu grabbed her arm.

"Not a good idea Yume," Akumu tugged her back. "Cowardly as it may seem, Mech does have a point. We aren't helping any by standing here, and if we leave, maybe we can find Eggman or Ghost for help." Yume's teeth were gritted in frustration, but she nodded all the same. Quietly, they snuck away from the fight, though all of them looked back to make sure Zynth was still fighting Blur. Seeing as they were, and probably wouldn't stop anytime soon, the trio ran.

"Any idea where we're headed?" Akumu asked Mech, who was leading the way (since he knew more about the citadel's passages).

"I would imagine that we would find someone to aid us in Master Zynth's office," Mech replied. "I hope he'll be alright. I don't suppose he expected Blur to be so strong."

"Say, I have a question," Yume stated, as the trio began to climb a flight of stairs. "How come Zynth is able to use Chaos Magic without a Chaos Emerald? The only person I've ever heard of doing that was our father." Mech seemed puzzled, as if he was unsure whether he should tell the twins or not. He glanced between them, deciding.

"That's quite simple," he explained. "You see, on the day that Master Zynth defeated Dr. Eggman, he says he found Shadow the Hedgehog, your father, at the battle grounds. However, Shadow's soul had been removed from his body by use of a machine the Doctor created. Since he knew that Shadow would attempt to overthrow the Android Empire if his soul were to return, Master Zynth locked Shadow away in the prison below…and imbedded the soul within his own body." Both twins suddenly stopped, looking bewildered.

"Hold on a minute," Akumu cried. "You're saying, that Zynth's soul-"

"-Is actually our father's?" Yume exclaimed, finishing the sentence. Mech nodded, having stopped also.

"So I am told by Master Zynth," he declared. "And I know that Master Zynth has never lied to me about something of such importance."

"And you knew this the whole time?" The white hedgehog screeched, barely restraining herself from tackling the android. "You rotten little-"

"It would have caused you to fight Master Zynth even more!" Mech cried. "Besides, at least your father is alive, and his soul can be returned if Master Zynth wills it! A robot doesn't have a soul to lose like that, and that's why we are different from you!" Mech took a few deep breaths, staring the twins in the eye. "Believe me, if I could, I would give anything, anything, to be alive like you. To be alive, and know for certain, without ever having to question life like that, or to ever be considered "faulty" by anyone. Organic lifeforms such as yourselves are so lucky to be able to have that kind of freedom. That is one of the reasons why Master Zynth became leader of all us androids, and why he wanted the Android Empire. He wanted a place where no one would deny us, and we could live just as you do." For a minute, the twins almost forgot they were in a citadel in the middle of a battle. Even if Mech was a suck-up, the words sounded sincere. They almost felt sorry for him…until they were brutally reminded of the current situation.

"Out of the way." In front of them was Ghost, whom they now knew was Shadow, their father. His emotionless face, compared to the image of him from a few years ago, was drastically different, but it didn't seem to matter at the moment. It was cold, hard truth, and Shadow didn't seem to care for it at the moment.

"We know where your soul is," Yume blurted before she could stop herself. Blank red eyes stared at her, silently telling her to go on.

"It's in Zynth," Akumu explained, "but you're going to have to help defeat Blur if you want it." Shadow raised an eyebrow, holding his machine gun.

"Why must I?" he asked blandly. My only concern is my soul, not your battle." Neither the twins, nor Mech, could think of a reason he would care for enough to assist. Frustrated, Yume just blurted out, "Because we're your children, and we're asking you too!" Shadow's eyes widened, another memory surfacing.

_It was in a room, somewhere at a house that seemed familiar. Rouge was there again, sitting next to him on a couch. In his arms were two children, the baby Akumu and Yume._

_"Aren't you happy Shadow?" Rouge asked him. "Our own children…I'm finding it hard to believe myself."_

_"I know." He was being quiet, staring at the two children. Both were snuggled into his arms, asleep. Yes…his children. Someday, he knew, they would be the ones to save the planet. His children…_

Snapping out of the memory, Shadow looked at the twins again. They needed him to help, and they asked for it. Seeing no reason why not to, he walked past them.

"Fine then, I shall defeat Blur," The voice was ice-cold, but it was an agreement all the same. Yume was surprised that her plead had actually worked, but wasted no time in following him. After all, why miss out on the battle?

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**…Bleh, lots of talk in this chapter. The next one will have more action in it, promise. I'll see you next time!**


	24. Deathmatch, Part 2

**New school trimester, new chapter! Chapter 23 is here, and wait till you see what happens now! (All moves used by Blur/Gizoid are still from, if not based off of, the moves in Sonic Battle.)

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**

Back in the corridor, it was mortal combat between Zynth and Blur. Zynth fired a Chaos Spear at his foe, Blur barely escaping as he countered with an iron-hard kick to the side. The black android caught the leg as it dug into his side, and with a mighty heave, flung his adversary into the air. Blur's arm changed slightly, and he flapped them like wings to slow his fall downward. However, this gave Zynth time to jump up to the ex-commander, and thrust a Chaos-Energized fist into his metal skull. Both landed on the ground, their fight continuing.

"What is the point now, Zynth?" Blur asked, morphing his arm into a shock-saber, quickly thrusting it. The robotic master ran with sonic-speed from the attack, kicking a counter-attack.

"The point? I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean. I am fighting you before you destroy my whole empire!" The Shadow-clone's kick made contact with Blur's arm, which quickly morphed spines, and tossed the assault aside. Blur smirked an evil smirk, his eyes shining with hatred.

"Your Empire, my dear Master?" The Gizoid-infused android laughed, a cold shiver going down Zynth's spine. "Don't you understand? Your empire is a waste of time! We robots and those organic lifeforms could never co-exist! In fact, neither of us can exist on our own in the first place! It would be a much better to just destroy this damn hellhole of a planet!" Faster than a lightning flash, Blur pounced upon Zynth, morphing his arms and legs into a liquid-like substance, wrapping it around Zynth before solidifying. Master Zynth was unable to break free, giving Blur plenty of time to unleash a Chaos Burst. The destructive being infused with the android smirked at the sight of Zynth's near-limp body, the sound of broken machinery and short-circuiting parts emanating from it.

Suddenly, a large _**BANG** _sounded through the air. Blur turned his head to see four figures; Akumu, Yume, Mech, and most importantly, Shadow. The latter of these four was gripping a smoking machine gun, and the twins were both holding onto the purple Chaos Emerald. The twins and Mech looked shocked to see Zynth's current state, since he had been in near-perfect fighting condition only minutes before.

"I see you've finally arrived," Blur laughed again, returning his arms to normal as he threw Master Zynth's broken body aside. "About time, this cretin of an android was boring me."

"And why should we care about your boredom?" Shadow asked, cocking his gun. All Shadow cared for at this point was the crazed monster ahead of him, and his soul imbedded in the dying robot nearby. He turned to the twins and Mech, and ordered, "Get the soul. I'll deal with Blur."

"Right!" Akumu and Yume quickly grabbed Mech, running over to Zynth as Shadow stared down his opponent. Not wanting to waste any time, Blur rushed at Shadow, attempting to knock the machine gun away. Instead, Shadow thrust the weapon to his enemy's leg, releasing a stream of bullets into the unguarded limb. Blur was surprised for a minute, but then retaliated with an attack with a saber-arm to Shadow's head. Unlike the android, blood began to pour out of the wound, since Shadow was an organic lifeform. However, the emotionless really don't feel pain as we do, and he continued the battle.

* * *

Nearby, Mech was desperately trying to awaken his master. The twins saw the look of concern on the assistant's face. However, they were also keeping an eye on the battle that was only a few yards away, which was continuing brutally. The smell of blood, and oil hung in the air, the sounds of metal and bone breaking only halted by gunshots. A true war zone, and they were caught in it. 

"Zynth! Master Zynth, wake up!" Mech's pleas kept on, and remarkably, the Shadow android's eyes fluttered open.

"Damn…Blur is a more formidable creation than I thought," Zynth muttered. The twins noticed him too, and pried their senses away from the fight. "I made him too strong. If only I had realized…I was only trying to…"

"Don't worry, we'll find a way to stop him," Yume said. "But please Zynth, we need Shadow's soul back. It's the only way we'll be able to win this."

"It's useless, if you don't know how to stop the Gizoid implanted in Blur," Zynth explained. He coughed up smoke, the result from burnt-out parts. "You need…a Chaos Emerald…and then, you must…"

"What do we need to do sir?" Mech asked, a hand on Zynth. "Master, you can't die yet! How must we defeat him?"

"We don't have much time left," Akumu pointed out. He pointed to the two combatants, which were still duking it out. However, Shadow was losing a large amount of blood, and he had just run out of bullets. Blur, having noticed this, was taking advantage of this, striking twice for each of Shadow's hits (which were coming quite fast).

"The Gizoid," Zynth continued, "has a weakness. If you say the keywords imbedded in his system…it will pause him for a while…and then, you have to disable his circuitry right at that moment. The keywords are…" Before he could finish, a sudden blast of energy was fired, striking Zynth's fractured body, and breaking it apart. Mech, Akumu, and Yume all turned to see Eggman, his cybernetic arm aimed right for them. In his other hand was a small, remote control sized device.

"I came back," Eggman declared, "and guess what? I found my Roboticizer."

"This is not good at all," Akumu muttered. "Wasn't he on our side, though?"

"You fools!" Eggman cackled. "I was using you, so I could destroy you two, Shadow, and take over the Robotic Empire at the same time! I never do something that doesn't benefit me, you see."

"You bastard!" Yume screeched. "You heartless, no good, wretched cretin! Is your empire all you care about?" The mad doctor in front of them smirked evilly, his robotic eye glowing blood red.

"Hold on a minute, I think I might have an idea," Mech whispered quickly to the twins. "When Dr. Eggman destroyed Zynth, I saw something fly out of him. I believe it was Shadow's soul." Mech gestured with his head toward the left, where a shining red object lay. "If you can get to it, and return it to Shadow, maybe we have a chance."

"I'll go," Akumu replied. "Yume, you stay here with the Chaos Emerald. You stay here, and make sure Blur and Eggman don't stop me, alright?"

"No problem, I can distract them." Yume held the purple Chaos Emerald tightly, and glared at Eggman. "Hey Eggman!" she yelled out to him, as Akumu silently slipped away. "If you want to have a robotic empire so badly, how come your own creations beat you in the first place?"

"None of your business!" The cybernetic echidna cried. "Watch your mouth, or I will turn you into a robot yourself! Trust me, a live creature that's knows they're being roboticized is not a happy one." In the past, Eggman had never wanted to actually kill anyone, as much as he may have implied plans to destroy Sonic. However, years of hiding, combined with hatred to fuel his evil genius, had finally warped his mind to complete insanity. Nothing was below him now, and it showed in his face.

"I bet you couldn't even hold your own against Blur, and you made him too!" Mech taunted, adding to the distraction. "I'm sorry, but someone who can only kill a dying being is truly sad."

"How dare you!" In his rage, Eggman accidentally pushed the button on his Roboticizer. With a sudden flash of light, a beam erupted from the machine's antenna, as it hit Akumu straight in the back. Yume's eyes were filled with horror as her twin, who had just reached their father's soul, screamed as his flesh turned to metal.

"NO, AKUMU!"

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**Didn't see that one coming, I bet! I was really on a roll for this! What is going to happen next? You'll just have to wait and see, now won't you? I'll see you later…**


	25. Finale: Return of a Shadow

**Well, the holidays are upon us, and I finally found time to update! The holidays took me by surprise, and I just recently finished my end of the gifts. That, combined with homework that is getting a little bit harder, and an all-around busy agenda, tied me up for a bit. I hope you don't mind too much.**

**Actually, even if you do mind a little, you won't when you here this: This is the final chapter! Yes, I FINALLY managed to finish! So what are you waiting for? Read on!

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**

Yume watched in horror as Akumu, her brother and best friend that had been with her forever, turned into a metal creation like those they had been fighting. His flesh turned into metal, his mind…was that changing too? Akumu screeched, Eggman cackled with maniacal laughter, Mech was frozen in shock, and Shadow and Blur were still fighting violently nearby, the sound of explosions ringing through the air. The noise was almost deafening.

Yume couldn't take it any more. The Chaos Emerald in her hand began to glow brightly, as Yume was surrounded with a bright red aura. Her turquoise eyes turned blood red, glaring at everyone in sight.

"THAT'S IT!!!" She yelled. "I CAN'T TAKE IT AMYMORE! I AM GOING TO STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!!!" It was quite obvious that the hedge-girl had snapped, and immediately she pounced on Dr. Eggman, ferociously attacking him with kicks and claws even her mother would fear. Pummeling him off his feet, she grabbed him in mid-air, tossing him into the still-battling Blur. The impact knocked both of them off their feet; sending them flying as she ran after them, crimson aura shining.

Shadow watched them fly past him, blood dripping down his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the now-roboticized Akumu. In his grasp was a red, shining object. His soul. In an instant, he was right next to Metal Akumu, staring down at him. The gun was cocked at the robot's head, and in an ice cold tone, he ordered, "My soul. Now."

Akumu looked back at him. The bat boy had not fully gained control of his senses, but he couldn't make a big deal of his transformation right now, could he? He was in the middle of a war, and in his hands was the deciding factor. With a silent nod, which was all he could manage right now, he passed Shadow back the soul.

Everything seemed to take place in that moment. Shadow's soul, which was now in its rightful owner's hands, began to glow, consuming the warrior whole. Eggman, flung through the air, used a bit of his last energy to fire the roboticizer again. Blur, who knew what was about to happen, began to charge up his strongest attack, a powerful beam copied from the Final Egg Fortress's cannon years ago, aiming it right for the hedgehog. Finally Yume, filled with rage, cried two simple words; "Chaos Blast!"

Everything was enveloped in a blinding red light, and for a second, it was like the end of the world. In the next second, it had faded away to reveal the consequences of the instant before.

The battle ground was wrecked beyond repair from the Chaos Blast. Blur, knocked into the wall by its force, misfired his attack at the ceiling, which made a large gaping hole in all the floors above. Yume's aura had faded away from the attack, and it was all she could do to stop herself from collapsing on the ground. Eggman lay on the ground nearby, Roboticizer in wrecked pieces. Finally, Mech and Akumu, the first to recover from the blast, noticed Shadow.

The Ultimate Lifeform's soul took effect quickly. Light gray fur rapidly turned pitch black, adorned by crimson stripes. A tuft of white fur on his chest off-set the black, and in his hands, the machine gun still lay. His blood colored eyes snapped open, a smirk on his face.

"It's about time," Shadow said, taking in his surroundings. Resting on Blur, he growled. He had not forgotten his goal, and he aimed his gun at the Gizoid-infused bot.

"So, you finally woke up, eh?" Blur asked cockily, morphing his hand into a cannon again. "Not like it will do you any good. Any weapon you have, I can top it. So, do you still think you can stop me?" He paused a moment, and then the Sonic clone's hand-cannon changed again, this time forming the Roboticizer.

"Impossible! He can copy that too?" Mech gasped. Akumu and Yume stared at him, and then both stared at their father. He nodded at them, still smirking.

"I think I can stop you," Shadow replied calmly. "I don't even have to use my fists. Does the Gizoid in you remember how?" Blur raised an eyebrow, and Shadow began to speak again. "Gizoid, as your master, I command you…Bring hope to humanity."

All in an instant, Blur halted completely. His eyes stared right in front of him, not even twitching. Those were the keywords Zynth had mentioned, and they all knew it. Akumu and Yume both grinned at each other, they knew what to do. Gathering up their energy, they both walked up to him, each with a hand on the Chaos Emerald. Shadow and Mech watched them, robot and non-robot together. Blur could only watch as they said the words that would end his life.

"Chaos Spear," they both said in unison. The energy bolt, powered by the Chaos Emerald and two beings able to utilize its powers, empowered his body, destroying it completely. The remaining bits fell to the floor, including a small memory chip, the words "Gizoid" implanted on the top. The twins, their job finally done, both looked back at their father.

"I knew you'd do something like this some day," Shadow told them, as they both rushed to hug the parent they had missed for years. He was quite proud of them, and returned the favor.

When they were done, they looked over at Eggman. His Roboticizer had gone off during the Chaos Blast, but had backfired, turning the mad scientist into the rotund human he had once been. The form was still, however, for the attack had been too much for the weakened human to withstand. Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik was finally dead.

* * *

Soon afterward, Shadow, Akumu, Yume, and Mech all went down to the dungeons, freeing everyone trapped in there. Rouge, Sonic, and the others were all happy to be freed, and Rouge was overwhelmed when she saw Shadow again, crying in his arms. Yume and Akumu both hung back from the crowd.

"So," Yume said after awhile, "since Eggman's Roboticizer was busted, does that mean…you're stuck as a robot?"

"Maybe," Akumu replied, "but I'm sure Tails will end up trying to make a new one to fix me. I can deal with it until then, though. It isn't that bad." He shrugged. "At least there are other bots here."

"That's right!" Yume gasped. "What's going to happen to all the other robots here in Cybex Capital? I mean, their leader just died overnight!"

"I…I'll deal with that." The twins turned to Mech, who was standing nearby. His robes were pulled over his injured side, though he didn't look as weak anymore. "Since Zynth is gone, and I'm his head assistant, it's my duty to take over for him."

"Sure you're up to it?" Yume asked. At that moment, however, Amythyst ran over to them.

"Wow, I can't believe all that's happened!" she exclaimed. "First I get kidnapped the first day we're here, and then all this! I can't believe I missed out on so much!" The purple hedgehog looked between the twins. They seemed different now, but despite all they went through, they were still…well, they were still Akumu and Yume. "So, what all happened?"

The twins looked at each other, and then at everyone else. All the others in the room were quiet, even the robots, looking at the twins.

"It's quite a story, I can say that," Yume said. "How about we all go home first?"

"Sounds fine to me," Shadow replied. Outside the fortress, the sun rose past the Nocturne Mountains. A new day had risen, for animals and androids alike.

* * *

**Owari! I hope you all enjoyed the story, despite my laziness and stuff. I do not plan on doing a sequel for this, but who knows, eh? I'll put up a list of next possible stories on my profile, and I'll hopefully get the next one up soon! Also, thanks to all my reviewers, especially Playstation14 and Mystery001. Thanks a lot guys!**

**On a final note, Shadow, Eggman, Gizoid, and all related characters belong to Sega. Tony the Cat from earlier in the story belongs to Toni the Fluffy (thanks for getting me to finish this X3), and EVERYTHING else belongs to me! Anyway, I'll see you all next time! Ciel the Hedgehog out!**


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